The Nightmare Curse
by MexiGirl56
Summary: Before he died, Antasma struck Dreambert in the heart just before Mario went into the portal, and so that nightmare energy thrived secretly within the prince. Now that it's awakened, can Mario, Luigi and company save him? Or will he be destroyed by the evil curse?Little did they know that this quest uncovers ancient secrets of the past far more bizarre than they could ever imagine.
1. Prologue

**Hello everybody and welcome to my first Mario Fanfiction! Well, the first one I ever brought myself to publish. So this has been one my head for a very long time since I beat Dream Team (which I'm gushing over how beautiful it is). And I kept wondering...what happened to Dreambert after he went after Antasma himself? Hence, this story was created! :D So yeah...some constructive criticism is always welcome, just don't make it too harsh now, Mmkay? By the way, this Prologue takes place right after Bowser betrays TasTas in the game, in case you don't recognize the dialog! :3**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all goes to Alpha Dream and Nintendo for creating another magnificent installment to the M&L series! Enjoy!**

_Prologue:_

_Antasma glared at the heroes before him. His eyes glowed with malice and anger, mostly due to the betrayal of Bowser. And what's worse, the pesky dreamy prince was challenging him! After a short bash, the bat king growled and returned to the platform, facing the Pi'illo prince. "Is that all?!" Dreambert challenged, "Come on!"_

_It was that moment when the bat king realized that his game was already over. He knew that, without that Dream Stone, he did not stand a chance anymore. He was completely powerless against the plumbers._

_But he was not completely powerless against Dreambert. And he'll be damned if he was going down alone._

_Indeed, his game was over, but so was Dreambert's. Antasma then smiled, a perfect plan blooming in his maddened mind._

_Indeed, Dreambert. I VILL take you..._

_Keeping his toothy grin, Antasma flew off a little, switched forms, raised his arms above him, and opened a dream portal. Unlike any other portal, his was dark and a thick fragrance of evil wafted around it. It was polluted by his nightmare energy. The bat king looked down at the prince, satisfied with the shock and fear that his sharp nose detected._

_"SCREEYEE" he let out a loud screech, though it was intended to be a laugh. Something he could never control, though at this point it did not matter. He turned back towards Dreambert, who clenched his teeth in disbelief. Antasma could almost hear the question going through his head: How...?_

_So he answered the unasked question._

_"I can open dream portals vhenever I vish now...for that is vut I vished from the Dream Stone..."_

_He grinned even wider. Perhaps he should give a fair warning...though he knew it would be ignored as soon as he spoke it. It would just add to the pleasure of executing his final move, because Dreambert would be too hard-headed to listen._

_"In the dream vorld, I vill be at full strength..." Antasma hesitated just slightly before adding, "...I haff changed, Dreambert. You haff been varned..."_

_And with that, the bat king faded into the portal, ready to destroy his enemy once and for all._

_Dreambert rushed to the entrance of the portal. "No! Stop!" He yelled. Before the brothers could catch him, the prince leapt into the portal after him._

_Right into a trap he will never forget._

_"Dreambert!"_

_Starlow's voice yelling his name was the last thing he heard before emerging into Antasma's evil void. Dreambert whipped around in circles, searching for the dark figure of Antasma. This dream world was much more haunting and it sent chills down his spine. It was dark, and the thick smell of evil nightmare energy nearly made him gag. Still, it lacked the one being who created it...and that was what frightened him the most._

_"Antasma!" He yelled out. "Come out and face me, you coward! I'll-"_

_He cut off when he felt a dark presence behind him, but before he could do anything, two big clawed hands grabbed him from behind. One grabbed the back of his head while the other clamped around his torso. He yelped and writhed in Antasma's grasp, but was unable to get out of it as the evil bat pulled him close and held him against his chest, which was for more massive than he remembered._

_Antasma spun them around to face the portal, forcing Dreambert's head up to look at it. His eyes widened as he watched it shrink into nothing. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized that he was trapped in this foul nightmare world. He thrashed around harder in Antasma's arms, "NO! The portal!"_

_"SCREEEHEEHEEHEE!" Antasma laughed, his unholy screeching making Dreambert cringe as it was right next to his ear. The bat king lowered his great head and rested it upon the prince's shoulder. Antasma's grin widened as he felt him shiver in fear and purposely breathed on the small Pi'illo's neck to make him feel more intimidated. It worked as Dreambert swallowed and refused to make eye contact with him, his breathing becoming more shaky and ragged_

_"I haff varned you, Dreambert...und you still fall right into my trap..." He released the prince's head and made a strange rotation movement with his wrist. Dreambert noticed how huge it was and realized that Antasma must have an even bigger form to battle with. It would also explain why his head was almost as big as his body, why his gleaming teeth were nearly as long as his arms._

_He watched as three nightmare orbs appeared from the ground on front of them. With another flick of his wrist, the orbs burst into one big cloud of nightmare matter. It was surprisingly intriguing to Dreambert. But that interest instantly turned into intense fear as Antasma balled his hand into a fist, and in response, the dark matter condensed into a single sharp nightmare shard. Only did the rest of the matter clear away did Dreambert realize that it was not a shard, but a light purple dagger._

_The prince yelped in fear and again started thrashing as hard as he could. He yelled in pain as Antasma's massive hand only tightened around his petite body, and his claws dug into Dreambert's back. He summoned the dagger into his hand and positioned it directly at the Pi'illo's tiny heart, its point glistened and reflected the dark colors of the evil world around it. Antasma shifted his hand lower on the prince to avoid cutting it._

_"A-Antasma..." Dreambert pleaded, "Please don't do this-s-s..."_

_"Too late for that, dreamboy." He growled. "Much too late for that. Pleading vill get you novhere."_

_"I know you're better than this." Dreambert said, his voice surprisingly calm, "I know there is still good in you, Antasma. Don't you remember when we were children? Don't you remember the happy times we once had?"_

_Antasma paused._

_Dreambert noticed this and quickly went on, "I know you do, Antasma. Don't you miss that? Don't you want that back?" His voice lowered almost into a whisper as he brought himself to crane his neck and look up at the evil being who was once his best friend."...Because I do..."_

_This time, it was Antasma who was too afraid to make eye contact. He lifted his large head off of the prince's sore shoulder. Dreambert saw his piercing yellow eyes lose that bloodthirsty glow. He saw them deprive of any readable emotion and become clouded, distant. The prince was sure that old memories came flooding back into the bat king's mind. Then, he saw something he never ever expected to see._

_A single tear fell from Antasma's eye._

_They stayed like that for what felt like hours, when in reality it was only a brief moment. Dreambert did not try to escape Antasma, even as his grip had loosened for him to easily do so. Instead, he simply continued to stare at the great bat as he closed his eyes, trying to hold back emotions. Just as Dreambert opened his mouth to speak, Antasma's eyes snapped open again, glowing once again in but with a different emotion in them. Dreambert had no idea what it was, as evil last was the only emotion he ever saw in them, and that was what scared him. His heart began to pound again and he was sure that Antasma went back into his evil senses, that he was going to disperse everything he just said with some clever line, that he would drive the dagger into his chest while laughing his screechy laugh and make sure it was the last thing he heard before making his death as painful as possible._

_But he didn't. Instead, Antasma lowered his head back down and brought his mouth close to Dreambert's ear. "I am sorry." He whispered, "Goodbye, best friend..."_

_Dreambert gasped as Antasma raised the dagger. He threw his arms out and yelled, "ANTASMA! NO-"_

_With that, Antasma closed his eyes tightly and pierced the ancient Pi'illo Prince's heart. The jagged nightmare weapon shattered and turned into particles of nightmare energy. With the impact creating a great wound, the nightmare shards swirled around and then drove into the wound, straight into the pure heart of the royal Pi'illo. Like a dream corrupted by a nightmare, the nightmare energy corrupted Prince Dreambert's body. It spread through its host like poison, thriving within him, exploring him. Then it settled into his heart and slept within him, and so the curse had begun. The Nightmare Curse._

_But even after the dagger was driven, the echo of a bloodcurdling cry of pain could still be heard deep within the nightmare world._

_Dreambert collapsed to the floor, Antasma no longer bearing to touch him. The prince clutched himself and shook uncontrollably from the shock. He gasped and hacked, struggling to breathe. Once he managed to calm down, he felt himself losing consciousness. Suddenly, something formed above him. He looked up, barely able to make out a dream portal in his fuzzy, unfocused vision._

_He tried to stand up, but intense pain suddenly burst in his chest and he fell back down. He looked up and reached a hand out to the portal, "P...please...help...me..."_

_Then he was picked up. Still out of it, Dreambert looked up dizzily at a pair golden eyes. Realizing that it was Antasma, he noticed that the bat king was back to his normal form. Antasma gripped his shoulders tightly, his face emotionless. Then, with seemingly no effort, he shoved Dreambert into the dream portal._

_Mario, Luigi and Starlow stepped back in surprise as the dream portal reappeared after about ten minutes. They gasped as the familiar red figure of Dreambert appeared and fell backwards out of the portal, awkwardly falling onto his back onto the cold castle floor. The prince coughed and clutched his throbbing chest. He quickly pulled the fabric of his clothes and placed it over the horrid purple wound. The three immediately rushed to him and hovered above him in worry, unsure how to help. They did not notice the concealment of his wound, Dreambert was thankful for that._  
><em>"Dreambert! Hold on!" Starlow cried. Mario knelt down next to him while Luigi panicked.<em>

_What was he to tell them? He couldnt just say he had been just stabbed in the heart by a knife made of nightmare! No, not while he had no idea why it did not kill him or what it will do to him in the future. He remained silent for a moment, think up a way to play it off. Dreambert took a few deep breaths and gained enough energy to speak. A small groan escaped his lips, "Argh...He has...grown stronger..."_

_His voice was tight with pain, and not just because of his chest. It pained him to finally realize what must be done. There was no way to contain Antasma any longer. There was no way he would change back into the good soul he once was. The nightmares he ate turned him into a monstrosity, and no matter how hard it hurt, Dreambert finally realized it was time to let Antasma go._

_"Mario...Luigi...I beg of you...Please save the island...and the Dream Stone..."_

_Mario then stood up, his face determined. He turned towards the dream portal and dove into it without hesitation. Dreambert did not worry, for he knew that Mario and Dreamy Luigi will surely put an end to Antasma._

_Wait...Dreamy Luigi!_

_Dreambert sat up abruptly, groaning slightly, but turned towards Luigi who eventually calmed down. Starlow gasped, "No, Dreambert! You need to rest a bit and regain your strength! Mario and Luigi will take Antasma down for sure!"_

_"I cannot!" Dreambert said, "Luigi, you must sleep upon me! With you awake, Dreamy Luigi is not there to help Mario!"_

_"Oh right!" Starlow exclaimed, "Just be careful on him Luigi. He's hurt."_

_Luigi nodded and helped the prince get underneath the dark portal and change into a pillow. Luigi sat down and gently laid down on him instead of plopping down. Just before he fell asleep, Starlow gave a confident smile, "Good luck you guys! I know you can do it!"_

_Dreambert appeared back into the nightmare world just as Mario faced off against Antasma, who was back in his battle form. He struggled to stay alfoat, as even though his pillow form consisted of no body, his head still throbbed and he had difficulty thinking straight. Nevertheless, he shook it off as best he could, "I will help as well...Dreamy Luigi! Come on!"_  
><em>Though he did not even try to help fight, the weakened prince hovered over the battle, sneaking in a quick heal whenever possible. Gradually, he watched Antasma grow weaker and weaker with each blow he recieved. He knew that Antasma knew that he was not going to win this fight, but still he would not go down without giving the brothers a few good scars to remember. He already gave Dreambert's, and so he took no interest in the Pi'illo.<em>

_But as the brothers gave the final blow, Antasma collapsed to the floor and looked up at Dreambert. The fallen villain frowned and his eyes clouded in pain. Dreambert gave no emotion, but it was hard to stay that way as Antasma's devastated look told him one thing over and over again: I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Goodbye...dear friend..._

_Antasma clutched his chest and hunched over as bright light emitted from his body and then destroyed him once and for all. Nightmare remnants flew everywhere and then dissolved into nothing. Dreambert exhaled shakily, closing his eyes and bowing his head, giving a silent prayer to his ancestors for giving them the strength to finally put his friend out of his suffering. But deep down inside something kept telling him that this wasn't the end._

_This is not over. He will come back someday. You will never escape him. He will come back._

_And as they withdrew from the nightmare world, Dreambert looked back just briefly before leaving. Placing a hand on his aching heart, he could have sworn he heard a voice somewhere deep within the void:_

_"I vill come back for you, Dreambert. You haff never lost me. I vill always be your best friend..."_

**End of Chapter**

**...So yeah. That's that...**

**Let me know what you thought! Reviews make me happy! Until next time, Ciao!**

**(If you got that reference, you are amazing)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all goes to Alpha Dream and Nintendo!**

Chapter 1

...

_"Antasma?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You're my very best friend."_

_"Und you're mine too, Dreambert. Ve'll always be friends forever, von't ve?"_

_"Yeah, forever."_

_..._

It was fairly early in the morning when I awoke. For a long time, I stared at the ceiling of my room, not having the energy to get up. Almost a year has gone by since the incident with Bowser and Antasma. Almost a year since my kingdom had been restored to its former glory. It was a happy time for everyone. Everyone except me, that is. The evil may have been demolished from the island, but it has not been demolished from me.

At the thought of it, I placed a hand on my chest, where I felt the hardened skin around the old wound. The hole where I had been stabbed by a dark weapon was covered over by a stoney substance that was slowly eating away my flesh, cell by cell. It felt ice cold and smooth. It felt like the surface of a nightmare chunk.

And so I finally realized why I didn't die immediately that day. Antasma wanted me dead, yes, he wanted me to die a slow and painful death. Well, he got just what he wanted, as I am indeed dying slowly. He struck my heart with nightmare energy that is slowly consuming me.._cursing_ me. But consumption is not the only thing it is doing, as I had found out recently.

It was just a calm day, until Eldream approached me asking to talk. The elder has been a big father figure to me since the death of my parents, and so we share a special bond. But that bond had been shattered abruptly when Eldream addressed a touchy subject. At first I was shocked at what he said...and then I got angry as he continued to press harder as I continued to reject his request. I never get angry easily, yet something inside me seemed to trigger it,_not_ Eldream. It got overwhelming as my chest started to burn and I quickly but unintentionally got furious. I had gotten the sudden urge to destroy something. I needed to take it all out on something. The sane part of me was barely able to keep me from lunging at the Pi'illo elder. Instead, I ran off back into my room. If I were to take my rage out on something, it would never ever be Eldream...or anyone else for that matter.

I slammed my door shut, surely startling the guards but I couldn't care less. The burning sensation in my chest got hotter and hotter, along with my temper. At that point, I had lost it. I had clutched my head and grit my teeth until it hurt. Then I saw movement in the corner of my eye. It was my mirror. Something I can easily break, however I had done so in a very unexpected way.

I snarled, clenched a hand into a tight fist and then, with an enraged yell, lashed my arm out violently at my mirror. A dark blast of energy flew out of my palm. It glowed with an evil aura as it struck the fragile glass and, with a loud crack, shattered it into numerous pieces. The big wooden frame fell over and broke into two pieces while the glass shards were launched all over my woven carpet in the center of my room. The burning in my chest turned ice cold. I stared at what I had done in complete shock that quickly turned into fear. I gripped my arm and stared at it as if it were something I had never seen before. The tips of my fingers on both hands were dark purple and felt cold but smooth. Just like my chest. Just like a nightmare chunk.

I found out then that this curse had given me unwanted power. I had the horrid ability to create nightmare energy and use it. Just like Antasma. This evil possession of nightmare power was what made me easily angry. Just like Antasma. I was able to destroy anything and possibly everything with just a quick motion of my hand.

Just like Antasma.

I then looked at the floor. Circling around me were thin purple vines that glowed and formed a pattern that spread over the floor. When I yelped and backed away, they disappeared. That was when I had realized that the curse also reacted to my emotions. If I was strongly feeling a certain emotion, it would do something to show it, whether it would be around me...or would be emitted from me.

The loud bang of my door being busted open was what finally tore me from my thoughts. I turned around and folded my arms in attempt to hide my fingers from view. The two guards gave shocked looks as they looked between me and the destroyed mirror. "You Highness!" One had said while covering his mouth, "What in Grambi's name did you _do_?!"

I did not know how to answer, so I gave them a hopeless look, still clutching my sides. The other guard had attempted to approach me, but I shrank away. At that point I had no idea what else I was capable of, but I was not going to find out by putting my people in danger. "No, no..." I said, "It is okay. I am not hurt..."

Two other Pi'illos had entered my room, and I recognized them as the two little caretakers that often cleaned and took care of my room when I was not around. They were young..._very_ young, probably no older than sixteen years of age. Well...one thousand and sixteen years I should say. The girls had both gasped at the sight. "Y-your Majesty! What _happened?!_"

I supposed that I should make up an answer then. I bit my lip a brief moment before finally getting out, "I-I...I knocked it over..."

"My Prince, how hard did you hit it?" A guard examined the broken frame, "The pieces are everywhere!"

"I...don't know...I am so sorry! I-it was an accident-"

One of the young girls had interrupted me, "Oh, no! Please do not apologize, your Majesty! It is okay, accidents happen. My sister and I will take care of it."

But then she had reached out to me.

"_NO_!" I yelled and backed away from her. The pink Pi'illo had snapped her hand back with wide eyes, most likely scared if she had done something terribly wrong. Realizing that I had yelled, I cleared my throat, "Ahem...err...no, I am not hurt if you are worried. I am one with no harm."

They all looked at each other briefly before the guards came forward, though they were careful to keep a comfortable distance for me. "...Perhaps it will be best if you leave the castle, Your Highness. Go get some fresh air and clear your senses. Do not worry, we will take care of the mirror."

An idea popped into my head. I nodded at them and turned to leave without a word. As I went down into the lobby, some Pi'illos approached me with worried faces. It made me uncomfortable but I took a risk and allowed them to come close.

"We heard a crash up in the second floor!" One said, "Is everything okay, Your Majesty?"

_Was it really that loud?_ I thought._ Well apparently..._

"I just knocked my mirror over by accident." I said reassuringly, "Be at ease, my dear people. Everything is okay and I am going to Wakeport to get it off of my mind, if you would excuse me."

They instantly backed away, "Of course, Prince! We're sorry for your mirror..."

"Do not worry. I believe it can be fixed."

I told a bad lie there, but I did not care at the moment. I just wanted to go to Wakeport as soon as possible. Perhaps there was something there that can help conceal my curse from doing any more damage. I gave a grateful nod to my people before heading straight to the shopping district.

Once there, I rushed right for the nearest clothes shop. Keeping my hands behind my back, I entered and examined the shop. It was filled with tourists, and so I quickly became the main source of attention but I ignored it.

"Oh my, if it isn't Prince Dreambert! Is there something you are specifically looking for today?" The shop owner, a pink shelltop, asked. I forced a friendly smile and went to her desk, "Ah...um...hello. Yes I am, actually. Do you have any gloves?"

"Gloves? Oh yes I have gloves! Please excuse me for just a sec!" She ran off to one end of her counter and returned shortly with a pair of long white gloves. I lightened up at the sight of them, "May I try those on?"

The shop owner nodded, "Yes of course!"

She handed them over and I took them gratefully. I quickly slipped my hands in before anyone would notice my fingertips. They fit perfectly snug and almost went up to my elbows, which was just what I was hoping for. That meant that they will last for a little while.

"I'm guessing that they've met your expectations?" She asked with with a smile. I nodded, still examining them, "They do indeed. How much do they cost?"

"Cost? Pffffft, don't worry about that Prince! If you like them then take them!"

I turned to her and shook my head, "No, no. I must give you something in return. It is only fair-"

"Please, you are the prince!"

"So?"

"So you shouldn't need to pay!"

"But I will."

"I won't take it!"

I rolled my eyes. I am happy that the island's inhabitants respect and love me so much, but sometimes it gets ridiculous. I snuck my hand into my tunic briefly before extending it to her, "Very well. You are too kind to me. Thank you so very much."

The shelltop shook it with with a smile, "Anything for you, Your Highness. Have Have a good day!"

"And you."

I released her hand and turned to leave. I could hear her gasp and couldn't help but smile, perfectly picturing her surprised face as she finds some ancient golden currency in her palm.

However, Eldream and I have not spoken since.

So far, the gloves have proven successful in keeping my curse withheld. I have even tested it, going to Somnom Woods to avoid being seen. Focusing on summoning the nightmare energy, I could feel it building in my arm. But when I lashed out, nothing happened and the built up power just simply shrank back down to nothing. It had worked. The curse was halted by the gloves. At least for now.

But if the curse cannot consume the world around it, then it will continue to consume me. Unfortunately, I can think of no way to halt that part of it. I slowly lifted my hands and looked at them. The curse has made it to my palms. My fingers felt cold and lifeless...like death itself. But I was used to the feeling at this point. It is going to be the last feeling I will feel when when my time is up, anyways. I might as well accept it.

My body is petrifying itself. But this time I will not be trapped in solid nightmare...I will_become_ the solid nightmare. I suppose you could say, I will become a nightmare statue.

**End of Chapter**

**Poor Dreambert! Reviews make me happy! :D ****Ciao!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Alright, so this one might be a lil' boring, but I'll make it up. I promise!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all goes to Alpha Dream and Nintendo!**

Chapter 2

_..._

_King Dhiren and Queen Luna stood on the castle balcony, enjoying the calm night as they gazed at the stars above. At some point they both looked down as the bundle Luna was holding shifted and let out a whine. In her arms was a tiny baby wrapped in a soft purple blanket. She gently rocked it and hummed a soothing lullaby that put the child at ease. Dhiren smiled and watched over his precious son. Not even a month old was their perfect little prince. Prince Dreambert._

_Luna gently stroked some locks of crimson hair out of his face, "He looks so much like you, Ren." She whispered with a smile, "I couldn't have asked for a more handsome little boy."_

_Dhiren gently took baby Dreambert from her, "He is going to be a strong leader one day."_

_"He will indeed, Your Royal Highness."_

_The royal Pi'illos turned around to see Eldream, the newly elected Pi'illo elder. The aging Pi'illo slowly approached them, "Please forgive me for interrupting your time, but I come with urgent news."_

_"Oh? Urgent news?"_

_"Indeed, my Queen. I was sent a prophecy from our ancient ancestors."_

_The King's eyes widened, "A prophecy? From our ancestors? What did they say?"_

_Eldream hesitated slightly, then turned around and shut the doors behind him, "It is about the prince. It seems that he has something...special in store for him in the future."_

_Dhiren blinked a few times and glanced down at his sleeping son. "Something...special? What would that be?"_

_"I know not, Your Majesty, but I will tell you what the past kings and queens had told me." Eldream cleared his throat and began to recite the prophecy._

_"The prince must keep the bond that will hold the balance of dream and nightmare, for without it, one will be destroyed by the other. Like two sides of the same coin, one cannot exist without the other."_  
><em>...<em>

At some point, I finally got myself up and did my morning routine. It was when some strands of my hair fell over my face did I notice that it was turning a dark violet. Did I mention that I have hair? Well, all Pi'illos have hair, we just preferred to wear our signature clothing because...well because we do. It has been a tradition for thousands of years.

My hair was long and crimson, one of the many things I inherited from my deceased father. But now, it wasn't so red anymore. I grabbed a lock of it and looked at it. The ends of my hair were turning a dark violet. My first instinct was to run to my mirror to confirm this. Then I remembered that I destroyed it.

Thankfully, I had a smaller one in my bathroom and ran to it. Sure enough, not only the tips, but my roots were turning violet as well. It seems the curse is even changing the pigment in my hair. I ran my hands through it and sighed. Another thing to hide, though it was not really difficult at all to do since I wore a hood over it anyways. After finishing up, I ran a brush through it quickly and put my tunic on when someone knocked gently on my door. I jumped slightly and made a grab for my gloves on my nightstand. Once I slipped them on I called out to them, "Come in!"

They did, and I saw that it was one of the young caretakers. As she came in, I noticed that she held an envelope in her hands. "Good morning, Your Majesty. I come to deliver a letter to you. It is from Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom."

I perked up as I took the letter. "Princess Peach? It has been a while since we last talked..." I smiled at the young girl, "Thank you, Laila."

Her eyes widened, "You know my name!"

"You and your sister are well known for taking care of the castle when I am not around. Of course I know your name." I chuckled, "In fact, I am quite convinced that you could take charge of it better than me."

Laila smiled, and the slightest shade of pink tinged her face, "Thank you, Prince. I will leave the letter to you." With that she left my room. I looked back down at the letter in my gloved hands. It was decorated with pink designs and my name written in neat cursive writing. To Prince Dreambert of the Pi'illo Kingdom.

Setting it on my nightstand, I picked up my robes and folded them neatly, placing them on the end of my bed (which had been immediately removed from the collection room, and quite literally to my amusement). I sat on the edge and took the folded letter of the envelope.

_Dear Prince Dreambert,_

_I'm sorry that I didn't get your letter until much later, but better late than ever, right? Anyway, I'm so happy that your beloved kingdom was restored and we would love to visit you again! I have also spread word of Pi'illo Island to our other close friends, the Beanbean Kingdom. Many of their people are there as tourists already, but their leader is very interested in meeting you and your people. They have a prince as well, and I'm sure that you two will get along just fine. They are staying in my kingdom briefly before we bring them along with us. We will arrive in the first week of June. Mario and Luigi are quite excited to see you again and we even got a hold of Starlow! It's going to be a fun summer and I look forward to it!_

_Sincerely,_  
><em>Princess Peach<em>

I had forgotten that I wrote a letter to her inviting her to stay for the summer. But she's bringing another kingdom with her, and as much as it pleases me that word of us is getting out there, it also scared me. I just found out that my curse has awakened, but will I be able to hide it the entire summer? What if I do something by accident and reveal it? What if I seriously hurt someone with it?

But the mention of another prince got my attention. It is always interesting to meet someone else of royalty from a different kingdom from a different era. I could not help but wonder: What is his name? What does he look like? Is he calm and content like me, or perhaps he is more outgoing and energetic? Is he older than me if you count off those one thousand years I was petrified? Is he taller than me? Is he cautious about his actions or more of a risk-taker? Does he ponder on things or is he a quick thinker? So many questions...

Then something hit me, "Oh no! It _is_ the first week of June! They could be here any day now! I have to tell everyone!"

Quickly grabbing my cloak and clasping it around my neck, I sped down to the lobby as fast as I could. So much for breakfast. Thankfully, I spotted a gatekeeper and a master talking once I got down there. They were the eldest of the Pi'illo Masters and Pi'illo Gatekeepers, Lucida and Noctous. They stopped talking instantly when I rushed over to them. They placed a hand over their chests and bowed.

"Your Highness. How are you this morning? Is all well for you?" Lucida asked with a pleasant smile.

_If only you knew_, I thought. "Listen, you two. Go back to Somnom Woods and Dozing Sands as fast as you can and get the other masters and gatekeepers and bring them to the front of the castle. Tell every Pi'illo you see to come gather outside as well."

They both gave me surprised looks, "Is everything okay, Your Majesty?" Noctous asked. I just smiled, "Better than ever."_ Such a lie..._"Princess Peach and her people are coming back to spend the summer with us. Better yet, she is also bringing inhabitants of another kingdom with her. Thanks to her, our tourism will go off the charts!"

They both gasped in surprise, "Really?! Oh, how exciting! That is great news, Prince!"

"Yes well...It seems that I have forgotten about it and they could very well be on their way as we speak, which is why I ask that you gather everyone you see in front if the castle."

"Of course, our prince! We will alert everyone in our sight!" Noctous declared. With that, they hurried out of the castle. I looked around the lobby and saw that everyone was staring at me, Brocks and Pi'illos alike. "_Well_?" I threw my hands up, "You heard me! We are getting visitors! I want all empty rooms in the castle reserved and make sure that they are neat and tidy! Get these floors polished, wash these carpets and scrub all of the windows until they shine! Get the collection room dusted and make sure the artifacts are organized! Come on, now! Do not delay!"

I clapped my hands to get them motivated and immediately everyone scattered like spilled marbles all over the castle. I had to move out of the way to avoid being knocked over. The Pi'illos rolled up the carpets and the Brocks started to scrub the floors. Others ran around, gathering cleaning supplies. Honestly, I was quite shocked at how fast they got started, but I did not complain. Then I spotted two familiar caretakers on the center of the lobby. I called out to them, "Laila and Naila!"

The young sisters turned to me wide eyed. They exchanged a glance before coming up to me, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I am putting you two in charge of the castle."

They gaped at me, as I expected them to, "Y-your Highness! We couldn't possibly-"

"Yes you can, because you are. I need someone I can trust to watch over it, just until I get back. I need to tell everyone outside and I will be out all day ordering things all over the island." I smiled at them, "I know you two can do it. Just do what you have always done to my room, except it is the entire castle. I have faith in you."

They hesitated for a minute before smiling back at me, "Okay, we'll do it!"

"Good. Now if you will excuse me..." I turned around and opened the great double doors of the castle. As I anticipated, almost the entire island gathered just outside. As I hovered out, they gradually became silent and waited for me to speak. I fidgeted with my gloves and took a deep breath. I was not nervous, but it had been a while since I spoke in front of this many people.

I cleared my throat before announcing, "I bring you all here today with great news! Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom is coming to stay with us for the summer, and she is also bringing with her another kingdom that I am sure some of you are familiar with: The Beanbean Kingdom!"

The island erupted in cheers of joy. It was mostly the green-skinned people (as my people often call them, though I know it is called "beanish") cheered at the mention of their homeland while others murmured among each other with interest. I faintly heard someone out of the crowd yell, "You hear that?! Prince Peasley is coming!"

_Peasley? Is that the beanish prince's name?_ I was not sure if I heard them right since it was nearly drowned out by the cheers, but it was not important at the moment. I will find out when he arrives. I raised a hand to signal silence and they quickly gave it to me. "However...I have had a lot on my mind, and so it did not dawn on me that they were coming until recently. Since our visitors our most likely on their way as we speak, I ask that you all help get our island prepared!"

"Why, Prince Dreambert!" A blue Pi'illo spoke up, "Of course we'll help! Right, everyone?"

He was followed by a bunch of "_Yeahs_!"

I smiled. This is why I love my dear people. Always they are here to support me and be there for me. _Oh, if only I could tell them..._

Again I raised my hand and once they quieted down, I gave my orders, "Thank you all for the support, for it truly bring joy to me. But we must get down to business!" I pointed towards Lucida and her Gatekeepers, "Gatekeepers, replace your Dozites to rise the stairs! Tell Britta to halt any more construction in Dozing Sands and block off any areas under it!" Then I pointed at Noctous, "Masters, replace your stones in Somnom Woods and alert the nommons that there will be visitors in their home! Brickle, get those rocks cleared in the park and check the pipes! Brocks, get Blimport ready! Broque Madame, make sure Driftwood Shore is not littered! Massiff Brothers, get ready for some tours! Wakeport shopkeepers, I would stock up if I were you! Let us get to work!"

And with that, they all split up. I started off in Mushrise Park helping Brickle boss around his workers (which was oddly satisfying, though I was not near as harsh as him). Then I veered of to the west, going to Driftwood Shore to help pick up any trash. From there, I went to Wakeport to oversee how everything was going. Blimport was well taken care of, so I headed east to Somnom Woods. I helped the masters communicate with the nommons and get them to understand that there will be people coming and going. Speaking broken English was not the easiest thing to do, but at least we finally got through to the children of Somnom. And finally, Dozing Sands. Britta's construction was going along smoothly, and the desert was looking more and more of a tourist hotspot instead of a construction site. She was not too pleased about having to put a halt to it, but we managed to bribe her with a salary. By the time the last gatekeeper placed her Dozite in the last statue, I was completely exhausted. I was not even going to bother with Mount Pajamaja. It was late in the afternoon when I returned to the castle to check up on things, even though my body was begging for a rest. For once, the curse was the least of my worries.

My eyes widened when I looked up at the castle. The vines that grew over the outside were gone and the cracks that formed over time were filled in. Apparently the whole castle had been scrubbed down, since the stone was a whole shade lighter than what I remembered. It looked almost newly built. When I went inside, the interior was just as impressive. The floors were polished and the carpets were just being rolled out when when I entered. A glass chandelier was hung up on the ceiling and some Pi'illos were still wiping it down. Brocks hustled here and there with silverware and plates, most likely for the restaurant and others carried boxes filled with items and clothing for their shops.

"Yes, that goes there. Take those in there. That goes back there."

I smiled when I saw the sisters directing everybody where they needed to be. I went over to them in the center of the lobby, "See? I knew you could do it."

The girls gasped as they noticed me, "Oh, Prince! We did not see you there! How is everything outside?"

"Everything is well, how about in here? It seems that all has gone well in my absence?"

They smiled and nodded, "Yes, actually! Rooms have been reserved, windows scrubbed, floors polished, we even decided to made the castle exterior a little more...you know...'presentable'."

"I saw that! I must say, I am very proud of you girls." I said. "And as a reward I will let you two have the rest of the day off. I can tell that you are exhausted. Go on, get some rest. I will take charge from here."

"Thank you so much, Prince! Just take it easy too, okay?" Laila said. "You look as if you are about to go down any minute."

_Trust me, I feel like it..._

"I will." I replied. With that, the sisters hovered off and I briefly looked throughout the castle before settling down in the center of the lobby. I really did feel like I was going to collapse any moment. I struggled to keep my eyes open for the longest time before someone called my name, "Prince Dreambert!"

I turned around to see Dr. Snoozemore, who was once the proprietor of the island while I was petrified until he gave up his leadership to me. Now he simply continues to study our history and often helps me sort out paperwork if needed. I often look to him to help me with new things in this modern day. I look down at him and put on another smile. At this point, my cheekbones have been aching from having to smile all day. "Greetings, Dr. Snoozemore. Is there something that you need?"

"Well, no Your Majesty. I just happened to notice that you look completely exhausted. Would you like me to take over for a bit? You've worked hard enough and you deserve a good nap."

"Oh Dr. Snoozemore..." The mention of a nap made my need for it worse, so I gave in, "I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything, Prince. Just go to bed."

"Thank you, Dr. Snoozemore." I said gratefully. He only nodded back and took my place. I made to the the second floor and into my room. When I shut the door, I pressed my back against it and sighed. Slowly, I took off one if my gloves. The curse nearly petrified my entire hands now. My interest sparked suddenly. I knew that this nightmare power was a great danger...but perhaps if I learn how to control it, it can become a great beauty. I balled my fist up and then flicked my fingers. A tiny burst of purple energy erupted from my palm. It spread and wafted in the air for a brief moment before dissolving.

"What am I doing?" I mumbled to myself, "Nightmares are nightmares for a reason. There is no beauty in them..."

It was getting overwhelming for me. The struggle to hide the curse was giving me stress, and that was not healthy. Only Grambi knows what happens if it reacts to that. I had to tell someone to get at least some of the weight off of my shoulders. Someone I can trust...someone who can _understand_...

I did not think on it too much, for I was far too tired. I laid down on my bed and quickly fell asleep. Unlike the times I have slept before, I had no bittersweet nightmares.

**End of Chapter**

**Okay okay, so MAYBE I went a little overboard. So much for keeping my chapters under 2000 words...-fart noise- I'm so sorry for making you guys read that. T_T**

**Hey, but at least there's something to look forward to! What's better than two adorable princes meeting?! NOTHING! :D Dhiren in Hindi means "Strong One", just thought I'd put that out there. I thought it would be very fitting. :P Also, no need to yell at me for putting "OCs" in here. The only reason I gave them names was because I'm a lazy sonofagun and didn't feel like describing them as "this Pi'illo" and "That Pi'illo" over and over again. They're not real important OCs so don't get all mad, k?**

**Reviews make me happy! Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Almost 4000 words. Again, I went overboard. T_T I'M SORRY! I KEEP GETTING INTO IT!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all goes to Alpha Dream and Nintendo!**

Chapter 3

_"Hi! I'm Prince Dreambert! What's your name?"_

_"Um hi...I'm Antasma. I'm a bat."_

_"Really? You don't look much like a bat..."_

_"Vell that's because I'm in my other form. Here's vhat I really look like."_

_"Wow, that's so cool! You can change from a bat into...whatever that was. And why do you talk like that?"_

_"...It's just my accent."_

_"Oh, well...that's a funny accent! So do you live here in Somnom Woods?"_

_"Yes, I've lived here all my life. I like it here, vhere it's dark und I can be by myself."_

_"By yourself? Where's your parents? Don't you live with them?"_

_"I...don't know anything about my parents. They left me a long time ago und never came back, so I just live here on my own."_

_"Oh...I'm sorry. Don't you ever get lonely being all by yourself?"_

_"...Sometimes."_

_"Well I'm here now. You don't have to be lonely anymore. Do you wanna be my friend?"_

_"Sure! I've never had a friend before..."_

_"Well you do now! Tag! You're it!"_

_"Hey! I vasn't ready! Get back here!"_

...

I was awakened from the bright sunshine that shone through my window curtains and instantly I felt refreshed. A good slumber was all I needed. I sat up, yawned, and stretched out. Then I noticed the purple vines wrapped around my bed posts and spread over the floor underneath. I froze in place and stared at them. Getting scared, I knew, would just make it worse. I stayed there for a while before something finally came to me. Perhaps it not only reacts to emotion, but thoughts as well. I began to think of removing the vines and snapped my fingers. At first I thought that I just made a fool of myself, but then I saw the vines go away. They shrunk down into nothing and I breathed a sigh of relief. I would have to experiment more with this curse sometime.

As I walked into my bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror and almost laughed out loud. My hair was a complete frizzy mess and there was no way I was going to deal with it being this crazy. I took a quick shower to tame it down and ran a brush through it. After finishing up in the bathroom, I decided to wear something a bit more 'prince like'. I don't tend to show off, mind you, I simply just want to look more presentable.

Then an old memory came back to me and I snapped my fingers, "Ah ha! I got it!"

Throwing a robe on, I went to my wardrobe and pulled out an outfit I remember wearing long ago when I was a teenager and tried it on, hoping that it would still fit. I walked to my bathroom mirror and smiled in satisfaction. I wore a plain white collared shirt with a red scarf tucked underneath it and a scarlet red tunic over it that matched my hair. The tunic had golden shoulder plates, lining, and floral designs that went down the sides along with a black belt that wrapped around my waist, similar to the one on my normal wear. The cape connected to the collar of the tunic and was a bit longer than the one I normally wore, emphasizing that 'royal' look.

"There, that looks much better."

If not for the growing violet streaks in my hair, I probably would have gone off without my hood for an even better surprise. I put on a playful smirk that, with my long hair down, would probably knock out some girls. _Now, now...let's not get too full of myself. I know better._

After putting my gloves and hood back on, I headed for my door. I opened it and saw Dr. Snoozemore there with a fist raised as if he was about to knock. He froze in surprise and I blinked a couple times.

"O-oh, Prince Dreambert! You're awake! I was just about to come get you." He chuckled a hearty chuckle. He paused and examined me, "Mmm-yes, you have a strong sense of style, I see. A nice change for you, Prince. I like it."

I gave a small smile, "Thank you, I quite like it myself. Has everything gone all right?"

"Oh yes, everything's great! Mmm-yes, I just wanted to let you know that the whole island is prepped n' ready for our guests! I must say, you really know how to motivate a whole island to get it ready in just one day! Mmm-yes amazing indeed. Yesterday was tiring for everyone for sure."

"Yes...it was." I sighed and rubbed my temples. Dr. Snoozemore gave me an odd look, "Prince, are you...well?"

The question threw me off slightly, "Erm...yes, I am well. Why the sudden question?"

He tilted his head, "You don't look..._happy_. I can see the stress in you, dear prince. How is your well-being?" He asked. My heart nearly skipped a beat. Does he know? No, there is no way that he could...could there? Did I do something that he saw? Can he see right through me?

But Dr. Snoozemore is someone I can trust. His study of me and my people makes him understand us...understand me...

"Doctor...can I...can you keep a secret for me?"

His eyebrows raised in confusion, "Of course I can, Your Majesty. If you need to talk about something, then I'm your right-hand man."

I grabbed him and pulled him inside. He yelped in surprise but did not say anything as I shut the door. I turned to him and took a deep breath. "Tell me, you have studied me and my people for many years, correct?"

"Mmm-yes, the ancient history the Pi'illos and their abilities with dreams are very interesting, but the many generations of your royal family has fascinated me since I was a young 'un. Mmm-yes, if I remember correctly, you are the four-hundred and ninety-eighth generation! Isn't that incredible!"

"Actually the ninety-_fifth_, but yes, it is incredible to see how far my ancestors have come. But that is not what I wish to talk about. What I want to know is if you have read anything about...nightmare energy."

Dr. Snoozemore placed a hand on his chin, "Mmm-yes, if I remember correctly, nightmare energy is a dangerous substance that is found in nightmare orbs. Nightmare orbs are formed when a Pi'illo has a nightmare, and the fear is transformed into evil energy that can be potentially dangerous to Pi'illos. It seemed that that villain of yours, Antasma, had found the orbs one fateful day and consumed them. Since he was not a Pi'illo, the energy instead mutated him and gave him the unlimited deadly power of using that energy as he wished. Mmm-yes, interesting isn't it? I can see why you were enemies, because you were polar opposites!"

_We weren't always that way.._

"What happens if a Pi'illo becomes one with the nightmare energy?" I asked.

"That I don't know, unfortunately. It has never happened according to the old documents that I read. But my hypothesis is that if the evil energy got a hold of a Pi'illo, it will petrify them just like that Dark Stone had. It was made out of pure nightmare after all, remember? But of course, I would never know for sure."

"Well, you are about to."

"Pardon me?"

I took off my gloves and showed him my stoney hands. Dr. Snoozemore simply stared at them for a moment before gasping, "Mother of Grambi! Prince, that couldn't _possibly_..."

"I am afraid it is, Doctor. It is only a matter of time before I become nothing more than a statue of solid nightmares."

"Oh goodness me..." He approached me and hesitantly reached out, "May I...?"

I nodded and allowed him to take one of my hands in his. His thumbs rubbed over my solidified palm in a massaging motion and examined it with great interest. He turned it over and rubbed the back of it and eventually let it go, "Good golly almighty! Prince, your hand is so cold that it numbed my entire hands! How can you not feel it?"

I frowned as I took my hand in my other, "They are petrified, Dr. Snoozemore. I have no feeling in them anymore."

"Could you feel me massaging it?"

"No."

There was a long silence before he finally asked me, "Dear Dreambert...how could this have happened?"

_Good question..._

I unclasped my cape and pulled down the right side of my tunic, "Antasma...he struck my heart with nightmare energy before Mario and Luigi destroyed him. At first I thought it was nothing and that it would heal...but it only got worse. The wound turned into solid nightmare and now it is beginning to petrify my body as you can see here. It is killing me...like a...like a-"

"-Curse." Dr. Snoozemore looked up at me solemnly, "Like a curse."

"...Yes. A _nightmare_ curse..." I began to pace around my room, "Do you see why I wear those gloves? They are what contain it. It is not only consuming me, but it has also given me an evil power. Just like Antasma, I am able to use and create nightmare energy whenever and however I want. But I do not know how to control it...and that is what I am afraid of."

Dr. Snoozemore walked over to the empty space beside my window. "Mmm-yes, so that is how you broke your mirror. You lost control of this powerful possession, hmm?"

"Yes...Because I got angry. Because of this...curse...it is harder for me to keep my emotions under control. I am afraid that if I do not conceal it, I am going to seriously hurt someone...or worse..."

Dr. Snoozemore tilted his head thoughtfully, "Mmm-yes...wait a moment! I read something in a certain Pi'illo's writings a while ago. I don't remember who exactly, but I do remember them writing about you."

I stopped pacing, "_Me?_"

"Mmm-yes, if I recall correctly, it addressed something about a strange prophecy sent from the ancestors of the royal family. Something about 'two beings keeping a special bond that holds the balance of dreams and nightmares. Without it, one will be destroyed by the other.' Apparently, you are one of those beings."

"What makes you say that?"

"The answer is simple, Your Highness. You are being destroyed."

I frowned and looked down at my hands, "I am being destroyed by the other..." then it clicked in my head, "Then that means...no...it cannot mean..."

I looked back at Dr. Snoozemore, "He simply _cannot_ be the only way to stop this...besides, what '_bond_' is it talking about?! _Antasma and I had no bond!_"

The floor beneath me flashed purple and nightmare matter began to swirl around me. My chest began to burn and I felt power begin to build in my hands. "Oh no..."

Quickly, I put my gloves back on and sat on my bed with my hands clutching my sides. I closed my eyes and focused on taking slow, deep breaths. Eventually, the nightmare matter went away and the floor went back to normal. I looked up at Dr. Snoozemore without raising my head, "Do you see? It responds to what I strongly feel emotionally. Frustration is easy to recover from, but I am afraid of what will happen if I lose control of it."

"I see...such a strange reaction indeed. Mmm-yes, if this happened a year ago, it seems to be progressing _very _slowly but _very _surely. That's the good thing. It will give me some time to do some research on nightmares and hopefully find the writing of that mysterious prophecy. Do not worry, Prince Dreambert, for I will do my best to help you find a cure. It may not be easy, but it may very well be possible."

For the first time in a long time, a smiled a real smile, "You have no idea how thankful I am."

Dr. Snoozemore only chuckled. Someone then pounded on my door, startling us both. "Your Highness!" They said excitedly, "They're here! Princess Peach has arrived!"

"They are? I will be there shortly!" I replied. I shot up and turned back to the doctor, "I must get going. Thank you for allowing me to tell you about this. For a long time, it has been stressing me out, but now that I have told someone I know I can trust, I feel as though at least some of the weight has come off of my shoulders."

Dr. Snoozemore placed a hand on my shoulder, "Anything, Your Majesty. I will begin my research, so whenever you need to talk, you'll know where to find me."

I smiled and nodded. And so as we ended our conversation, we split up and I made way to Blimport. At least half of the island was there when I arrived. It was extremely packed, but thankfully, there are perks to being the respected ruler of the island. I made my way easily as the Brocks, Beanish and Pi'illos split and immediately made a path for me. I felt a warming feeling in my heart as they looked at me admiringly and for once, it was not rage. It was joy.

Once I reached the end of Blimport, I felt a smile curve my mouth at the familiar sight of a pink dress. Princess Peach was there helping her toads load their belongings off of their blimps. There were four blimps in all, two for the toads, two for the beanish. At the mention of them, I saw Mario and Luigi helping them unload their blimps. One beanish person stood out, however. He stood on an odd looking blue bean with wings and was the only one with bright golden hair. My attention was torn away from him at Peach's soft voice calling my name.

"Prince Dreambert! How nice to see you again!" She smiled and walked up to me with open arms. We embraced for a moment before pulling away. Her perfume smelled sweet...like peaches. Well, how convenient.

"Hello, Princess! It is great seeing you too! Has all gone well for you?"

"Why, yes! How about you? You look so...different! I swear you've grown a little, or maybe I'm just not used to seeing you in that different tunic. Don't get me wrong though, I really like it! You look even more like a prince."

"Thank you, I used to wear this long ago in my youth. In my teenage years, specifically." I chuckled, "I am pretty sure I have not grown much if it still fits the same way it had before, Princess."

She laughed and the Pi'illos crowded around behind me. Princess Peach turned around and raised her voice for everyone to hear, "Everyone! May I have your attention, please!"

They all paused their actions and turned towards the princess with interest. Clearing my throat, I took a step forward and spoke up with a welcoming smile, "Dear guests, I thank you all so much for choosing the spend the summer on this dreamy island! I am Prince Dreambert, ruler of the ancient Pi'illo Kingdom and I am happy to be here and formally introduce you to your ultimate vacation! _Welcome to Pi'illo Island!_"

Everyone burst into cheers of joy and anticipation. As if suddenly remembering something, the princess turned to me and held her hands up, "Oh! I almost forgot! Please wait here for a minute, Prince. I want to introduce you to someone. Be right back!"

I nodded and watched her walk back to the small group of visitors. A Pi'illo came up next to me and I recognized the purple clothing.

"That...is a lot of tourists, Your Highness." Eldream remarked, "Will we have enough open hotel rooms for them all?"

I did not reply immediately, as it was the first time he had spoken to me in at least a month. I had been trying to avoid him after the mirror incident because I knew that if he wanted to keep pushing on 'that subject', I would not be able to keep myself under control next time. I know that he knows that I am purposely staying away from him, I just hoped that I would not have to tell him why.

"Prince?"

"What-oh! Um...I believe we do. We have built new hotels in Wakeport, remember? We also have some spare rooms in the castle, worst case scenario."

"...Yes. I suppose you are right."

We sat in an uncomfortable silence as we watched the tourists resume their unloading. I was quite tempted to excuse myself, but then I remembered that Princess Peach wanted to introduce someone to me. At the mention of it, she walked back to me. I noticed a beanish person beside her, and I recognized him as the one that caught my eye earlier.

He was indeed a little taller than me (when I stand on the ground that is, not hover) and wore a plain white tunic with a red cape clasped to it. A black belt was wrapped around his considerably slim waist and also wore a pair of white gloves. He was definitely younger, as I could see that glint of youth in his eyes that I lost one thousand years ago. He looked me up and down, as if sizing me up and I did the same to him. If he was going to act judgemental, then so was I.

"Dreambert, I'd like you to meet Prince Peasley of the Beanbean Kingdom. Peasley, meet Prince Dreambert of the Pi'illo Kingdom."

"Ah, _Prince Dreambert_! The so-called Prince of Dreams whom I've been so eager to meet since Peach mentioned you. Greetings, fellow prince!" He extended a hand to me. Something about this prince I did not like...at all. Maybe it was my growing envy for his devilishly good looks and that smug smirk he has on his face, or maybe it was that taunting tone in his voice and the way he emphasized my name. Or maybe it was both. Either way, I did not like him. I was very tempted to ignore his hand, but I had my manners, so I shook it.

"Greetings, Prince Peasley. It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy your time in my kingdom as much as Princess Peach has."

Prince Peasley took his hand back and gave me a strange look, "Whoa, your hand is cold...like _really_ cold! Are you all right there, pal?"

I froze in place, unable to come up with a reasonable answer. I saw Eldream look at me in the corner of my eye, but I refused to make eye contact with him.

"Hey-a Dreambert!"

I remember that accent. I exhaled in relief as I saw two familiar brothers trot over. I strode past Peasley to them. He threw a look at me and I threw it right back before turning to the brothers with a wide smile, "Mario! Luigi! It has been a while, dear friends! How have you been?"

"Great!" Luigi replied, pulling a big suitcase behind him, "And-a even better now-a that we're going to spend our-a entire summer with-a you again! We're-a so excited!"

"Me too." I said.

Princess Peach walked up beside me and whispered, "Okay, I know Peasley can be a bit...full of himself and maybe even a little rude at first. He definitely likes to show off, especially since there's another prince around. But don't worry, he'll warm up to you. He's a really fun person to be around once you get used to him."

_She must have seen our face off earlier_, I thought. I looked at her, "He is certainly...different, I will say that much. I will be honest here and say that it may take some time for me to...fully get along with someone who is the direct opposite of me."

She giggled lightly, "Well, you know what they say. Opposites attract!"

"Ahahahaha!" Her statement made me laugh, "I like the way you think, princess, but I do not think that is the case in this situation."

"Okay then, if you say so!" Peach smiled.

"Hey! Outta the way, people! I'm flying here!"

I also remembered that voice. I turned to see none other than Starlow emerge from the group of visitors, a small suitcase in her mouth. Once she approached us, she put it down and smiled, "HELLO YELLOW!"

I laughed, "Hello there, Starlow. I am glad that you could come as well!"

"Are you kidding?" She exclaimed, "Of course I'd come! I love it here! I'm so excited to spend the entire summer here!"

"I am looking forward to it as well."

Prince Peasley came forward and clapped his hands, "Everyone! Have we gathered our things so we can move on?"

Once the large group replied with a bunch of "Yeahs!", we reopened the gate out of Blimport and the Pi'illos helped escort the tourists forward. While leading the group, I got into a friendly conversation with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Starlow. It was mostly about our adventure last year and I was thankful that Peasley did not make any remarks on whatever I said, though I could tell that he wanted to because of the looks he gave me.

_Oh boy, this was going to be a fun summer indeed.._

**End of Chapter**

**Welp, looks like we gotta dominance problem going on XD. Will they be able to work it out? We'll have to see! Anyhoo, I'm sorry if Prince Peasley is OOC. Unfortunately, Superstar Saga was the only one of the series that I am unable to get a hold of. Hopefully, I will be able to experience that game someday since I've heard so many things about it. I know this is going rather slow, but things are gonna pick up next time, I promise! ;)**

**Reviews make me happy! Ciao!****  
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	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update! I've been on Christmas vacation so yeah. :P**

Chapter 4

_"This castle is huge! You live in here?"_

_"Yeah! Pretty cool, isn't it? Although it does get lonely in here since it's so big. That's why_ _I'm_ _glad that my mama and papa let you stay here."_

_"I like your parents. They are really nice."_

_"Are you going to stay here? Like, really stay? My parents did say that they'll let you live here since there's no one with you in Somnom Woods. They really like you for some reason."_

_"...I don't know._ _I_ _do like how dark and quiet the voods are..."_

_"Well, it gets dark and quiet in the castle too. Especially at night. Plus, if you stay here, then we can play all the time! And then neither of us will be lonely anymore. There's_ _a_ _room next to mine that you can use."_

_"Really? Okay,_ _I guess I'll stay...but can ve still go to Somnom Voods?"_

_"Of course! We can go there all you want! My parents let me go all the time."_

_"I haff never lived in_ _a __castle before...but as long as you're here,_ _I __think I'll get used to it."_

_"Yeah! I'll help you adjust! Now that we live together, we can play all the time! It's like we're brothers!"_

_"Yeah...brothers!"_

_..._

The next two days were spent either in Wakeport or the castle to help the visitors get settled. Of course, Princess Peach and Prince Peasley got first pick of the castle rooms. Mario and Luigi got another while Starlow shared the princess's. The spare rooms were given to those who were unable to get one at a hotel in time. Luckily, there was just enough room for everyone.

I has decided to pay Dr. Snoozemore a visit when I had the free time. He did not find anything yet, but he assured me that he sensed he was close to finding something. It seemed that Peasley was quite intrigued by my castle's unique interior. He was skeptical when he first looked at it, but even if my castle was "only half as big as his", I was glad to see him constantly examining the design. At least it halted his insolence for a little while.

I had a strong feeling that he was going to test my limits.

I lounged in my room for a little while, waiting for the others to settle in before we go to the diner downstairs for dinner. Starlow eventually knocked on my door (do not ask me how) and asked if we could talk. I let her in and we instantly got into a friendly conversation. She told me of her last adventure with the brothers and how they were inhaled into Bowser's body for the longest time. It was very interesting to hear how they stimulated various areas inside him to help. Right when she was getting into the part about Dark Bowser, someone else knocked and I called them in.

Princess Peach opened my door and smiled, "Oh! There you are, Starlow! I was wondering where you were...but anyway, we're waiting in the lobby for you Dreambert."

"Okay, we will be there shortly." I replied. Once she left, I sat up and stretched, "Well, we should go. I do not want to keep them waiting." I smiled at Starlow, "You will have to finish this story soon."

"Of course! Apparently the brothers have been on some adventures even before me, hence Prince Peasley and that Beanbean Kingdom. They've told me about some of it, but hopefully we get to hear that story at the table!" Starlow chirped as she got up.

I opened my bedroom door and gestured for her to go, "Ladies first?"

Starlow giggled and I could see a faint blush, "Oh, Dreambert! Such a gentleman!"

I only smiled at her. As we made our way to the lobby, she commented, "Y'know, I don't know if I ever said how much I like your new outfit! It looks really neat and royalish."

"Oh, thank you. I used to wear this long ago when I was just a teenager. Thankfully, it still fits." I chuckled, "Does it make me look more mature, perhaps?"

"Yeah, and it also makes you look more..." She trailed off. I stopped and gave her a strange look. Starlow's face was rather red and she stumbled upon her words. "Er...I kinda lost what I was going to say...heh...oh well..."

The corner of my mouth twitched. "Oookay? Well then..." I began to walk again, trying to shrug it off. But still, my curiosity sparked.

_What was she going to say?_

I could sense the embarrassment off of Starlow. Now that was a problem. Starlow is a really good friend, but I could not afford her to have feelings for me. Not because I did not want to, but because I could not bear the thought of hurting her, whether it was me accidentally striking her _with_ my curse, or me pushing her away _because_ of my curse...

"Dreambert! Watch out!" Starlow exclaimed. I jumped out of my thoughts. "Wh-what?"

I whipped around and saw a flash of green. The next thing I knew, I was knocked over and tumbled down the stairs with someone else. We rolled down like a ball before crashing into a torch at the bottom and knocked it over. I landed on my stomach with that other person landing on top of me, knocking the wind out of me. The torch's metal stand clashed loudly on the ground.

I heard footsteps race to me and recognized Princess Peach's voice, "Oh my goodness! What happened?"

I tried to get up, but the other being was still sprawled across my back. I groaned and writhed underneath. The other person was also moaning, and my temper flared as I recognized them as Prince Peasley.

"Oh my gosh!" Starlow cried, "Are you guys okay? I tried to warn you Dreambert!"

"Ow...my head..." Peasley shifted. I craned my neck and growled, "Do you _MIND?!"_

He got up enough for me to twist myself around and shove him fully off of me. "What is your _problem?!"_ I snapped angrily. "There was _no_ need for that!"

Peasley smirked while rubbing his head, "Well someone's moody today. What's the matter, Dreamy Boy? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, did we?"

_Ooh,_ did that taunting tone agitate me.

"I just got tackled down some stairs!" I hollered, "Why would I not be angry?!"

Peasley's face turned serious, "I didn't mean to! It was an accident, smart one! I was in a hurry!"

"Look before you leap, you idiot!" I snarled, "Ever heard of that?! In case your insolent little head cannot comprehend, watch where you are going!"

"How DARE you insult me! You have NO right to do so with such a stupid reason!"

"I have EVERY right to do so, you immature little-"

"ENOUGH!"

Starlow yelled. She came down the stairs and glared at us, "Take a chill pill! You guys need to stop this! It's obvious that you don't like each other, but you two are going to have to work it out one way or another! This is getting ridiculous!"

I was getting out of control again and I knew it. That irritating burning started again in my chest. I glared at the other prince, wondering how satisfying it would feel to take off a glove and make him beg for mercy. We held a death stare at each other briefly before Princess Peach walked in between us, "Come on you two. It was just an accident, nothing to get worked up over! The good thing is that neither of you got hurt badly."

I managed to control my heavy breathing and stood up. "You are right, Princess. I should not have gotten so upset about it."

Rather reluctantly, I looked down at the other prince and extended my hand to him, "My apologies, Peasley."

Peasley shifted his eyes between me and my gloved hand for a long moment before finally taking it. I pulled him up and forced a small smile. He did as well and then ran a hand through his blonde hair. I winced as some bright sparkles flicked off. "Well then, I suppose that we should get going, hmm?"

I walked over and stood the torch back up, "Yes, we probably should."

The castle was amazingly packed when we made our way to the diner. Beanish and mushroom people scurried here and there, taking pictures, admiring the interior, or talking with the Pi'illos. I smiled as I watched three children -one beanish, one Pi'illo and one a toad- playing and giggling.

"People of three different races," I said to myself, "...and yet they act as if they were one..."

If only Peasley and I could act that way. It would have made things much easier for me.

Once we reached the diner, Mario and Luigi were already there. They sat next to each other on one side of a long table at the center of the restaurant. The table was filled with various dishes and the delicious smells made my mouth water. I could not remember the last time I had a real meal since the stress of my curse also affected my appetite. Nothing is better than us Pi'illos' unique cooking. I eagerly sat down on one end of the table.

"Ooh, this food smells wonderful!" Princess Peach exclaimed as she took a seat across from the brothers. Starlow sat next to her and Peasley took the last seat across from me at the other far end of the table, which I was happy about. I ate quietly, listening to the others talking about their adventure at Peasley's kingdom. The discussion of Cackletta's plan to conquer the world reminded me too much of Antasma. Apparently, they resembled each other as well since they both have bat genetics in them. After a while, however, I snapped my head up at the other prince's comment.

"Well, I guess I should mention the fact that there have been creatures of the Underwhere causing mayhem back home."

Everyone paused and stared at him.

"Creatures of the Underwhere?" I spoke up, "You mean that they are getting out?"

Peasley only shrugged, "Apparently, but no one can figure out how. I have seen them myself, even fought off a few, but luckily there have been no sightings of Cackletta or Fawful. My theory is that there is a portal hidden somewhere in my kingdom that they're going through. But where it came from? That is beyond me. However..."

I leaned forward.

"...There is one creature that I have mistaken as Cackletta a few times. Unlike the others, he comes out only at night but hasn't caused any mischief to my knowledge. He only sneaks around, sometimes frightening people, and then vanishes." Peasley tilted his head at us, specifically at me, "Perhaps you may know of this strange being?"

I think I have an idea, I thought to myself. But I stayed quiet to seek more details. "What does he look like?"

"It's difficult to see him clearly since he lurks at night, but in the few times I encountered him, his most distinctive feature is his bright yellow eyes. They pierce the darkness...and my soul to be honest. My people call him Fantasma from the beanish language, which translates to 'ghost' since that's what he looks like."

How ironic. It was Antasma, I was sure of it. It all made sense now. His voice that I heard before I exited that nightmare world echoed in my head.

_I vill come back for you, Dreambert. You haff never lost me._

But how did he get out of the Underwhere? And of all places, the Beanbean Kingdom? Was that intentional? Why has he only been hiding? Is he just lost in the unfamiliar kingdom? Or is he searching for me?

Again, so many questions...

After I told my story of Mario and Luigi's adventure in my kingdom, we headed back down to the lobby. The place was packed with people of all sorts, laughing and dancing to the music. I noticed that the Pi'illos played strings while the beanish played wind instruments. Together, they created an energetic melody that got everyone to their feet. Peasley jumped in first, who was greeted by a bunch of cheers from his people. He was followed by Mario and Luigi, pulling Peach and Starlow with them. Oh, how I longed to join them.

But no, it was too risky.

I stood back and watched with a small smile. The princess emerged to the front of the dancing crowd with Mario. When she noticed me, she extended a hand out to me in a beckoning motion. But at that moment, something flashed in my eyes. Instead of Peach, I saw Antasma. His face was distraught...more of a sad look than anything. His clawed hand was extended as if he were reaching out to me, giving me a clear message of what he was trying to say.

_Help me._

My heart quickened its pace and I immediately turned the other way. I put a hand on the castle doors to support myself. After a few minutes of regulating my harsh breathing, I turned back around to see a pair of piercing yellow eyes staring back at me. This time they were not sad, they were angry. I yelped and backed into the doors with my eyes squeezed shut. I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and braced for an impact. But there was none, only a familiar voice.

"Your Highness, are you all right?"

I opened my eyes to see Eldream. I blinked a few times and thought over what just happened. _I__ am seeing things,_ I thought. _This curse is getting to me..._

"Ah...yes, I am fine." I answered, promptly brushing his hand off. "You just...startled me."

"Oh! My deepest apologies, Prince." Eldream took a few steps back to give me space. I nodded and attempted to walk around him, but Eldream put an arm out before me and cleared his throat, "Ah, Your Majesty. There is something that I would like to say."

I halted but refused to look at him, "Yes?"

"I am sorry..."

This time, I did. I let the element of surprise take over my expression, "Sorry? For what, Eldream?"

"You know..."

The memory of my shattered mirror flashed in my mind. "Oh..." I looked away again and did not speak. Honestly, I did not know what to say about that. Eldream went on, "I understand that it is a sensitive topic for you, Dreambert. But we both know that the royal tradition must continue."

Oh no.

"You _will_ have to take responsibility of being king."

Just like that, my control nearly gone. My chest was on fire and it fed off of the mixed emotions coursing through me. Fear, most of all. It was massively overwhelming. I needed to get out, then and there, before I let it out. Before I hurt someone. I turned around and rushed towards the doors.

"Your Highness, wait!"

But then Eldream grabbed my wrist and pulled the glove off accidentally.

"NO!"

I did not think. I just did the first thing that came to mind. In one swift movement, I whipped my hand back and reached out in attempt to get the glove back. But instead, I unleashed a dark blast of energy that aimed straight at the elder's head. The impact threw him back and he collapsed to the floor on his side.

Two Pi'illos rushed to his aid while everyone else stared at me in horror. I backed up against the doors again and gripped my petrified hand tightly. An evil black aura surrounded me and a dark nightmare substance spread over the floor and walls around me. I was nearly hyperventilating, as my breathing became harsh and thick of the fear overpowering me.

I could see Starlow, the brothers, Peasley, and Peach in the crowd, all looking at me in shock and disbelief. The Pi'illo guards came forward and aimed their crossbows at me, a signature weapon of my kingdom.

"What sorcery is this?" A guard said, "That is not our prince! That is a _monster!"_

Still pressing my uncovered hand to my chest, I put my other hand out in a stopping motion, "N-no! Please, you do not understa-!"

"Who are you?" Another guard demanded, _"What_ are you? Where is our prince?"

"It _is_ me! I am still your prince! Just please, stay back!" I yelled. "Please! I do not want to hurt you!"

My control was wearing dangerously thin by the second and I broke out into a cold sweat. The guards hovered around me, and I constantly whirled around to keep an eye on all of them. I could sense their uneasiness; they did not know if it was really me and therefore they were hesitant to shoot. I could see the brothers exchange glances, unsure whether or not to get involved. Knowing what they could do, I had to get out before they decided that I was an imposter. I decided to put my power to use.

_Please don't hurt them...please don't hurt them...I just want to warn them..._

I aimed at the floor beneath the guards and swung my hand out. The nightmare energy hit the ground and solidified into sharp spikes that extended outwards, creating a small barrier around me. The crowd gasped and bscked away as guards yelped and jumped back in alarm. I took the chance and ran for the doors.

"Wait-a Dreambert! Stop!" Mario yelled out. I turned around and saw them running towards me, jumping over the barrier. I gripped the knob.

"Dreambert no! Wait!" Starlow cried.

But I did not listen. Too scared, too stubborn, it was hard to say. I shoved the doors open and ran outside into the cold night air. I clutched my chest and ran as fast as I could through the darkness. I could still hear my friends calling for me, but I did not care. Even if I did stop, there was no way to save me. I paused when I reached Mushrise Park, quite unsure where to go.

But then my instincts lead me eastward, back into the woods that held so many of my memories.

**End of Chapter**

**Lolololol cliffhanger! I'm sorry but the chapter was just getting too long so I had to split it! By the way, I decided that the beanish language is actually Spanish and the Pi'illo language is Hindi, since I'm fluent in those languages.**

**And apparently there's Peasley/Luigi...? Ewh, I may hint at it every now and then but it's not going to be a thing in this story. The real pairing is, well, classified for now. :)**

**(NO IT IS NOT NO DREAMBERT/PEASLEY FOR THOSE OF YOU WONDERING...I don't think that even exists although it might be kinda cute XD)**

**Reviews make me happy! :D**


	6. Chapter 5

**5,000 words, Lord help me please. T_T**

**Hey, hey, hey it's Mexi! So yeah, I'll warn you guys because this does contain an insane amount of dialog. But it was needed to get the real party started, k? Don't worry, I'm not going to have so much dialog and less action in the rest of the chapters, I promise! Well, I'll try anyway...**

**A quick shout out to Dreamy Fan: Did I really make a Frozen reference? Lol, to be honest, I've never sen frozen yet! But I plan to sometime when I HAVE time. XD**

**ANYWHOO, here's chappy 5!**

Chapter 5

_"Dreambert! Vake up!"_

_"...Ugh...what is it Antasma..."_

_"Come on! Let's go play!"_

_"It's freaking midnight...go play by yourself..."_

_"But I'm more active at night!"_

_"Then go be active somewhere else..."_

_"Hmm...aha!"_

_"...For the last time, Antasma...get off of me!"_

_"Do you vanna go play in Somnom Voods?"_

_"...Ow, hey! Stop, that tickles! Hahaha, all right fine! Let's go play! But we have to be quiet and not wake up my parents or we'll get in trouble again."_

_"Don't worry, I'm good at sneaking! I am part bat after all."_

_"You said that last time..."_

_"I vasn't the one who knocked the torch down."_

_"Ugh, whatever. Come on, I'll race you to the lobby! Whoever loses is the one seeking in the woods!"_

_"Screeheehee! You're on!"_

_..._

I paced nervously before the Pi'illo Temple. The woods became dark and haunting the moment I stepped foot in it. I watched in horror as my curse corrupted the once peaceful forest. That strange nightmare substance spread over the ground wherever I stepped and dark vines wrapped around any trees or flora it could get a hold of, suffocating them of their dreamy states.

I slowly brought my hands up in front of me. One still had its white glove on while the other did not, exposing my purple, congealed skin. I noticed that it had now eaten its way past my wrists. I took a shaky breath and pulled off my remaining glove. A small dark aura pulsed around my hand briefly in response to its freedom from concealment. Curious, I walked over to a tree and touched it. Instantly, nightmare matter leaked from my palm and slithered out over the thick trunk. Within mere seconds, the whole tree solidified into a purplish stone. I watched as the sacred woods around me was consumed by nightmare matter.

That is what is happening to me, I thought. At a much slower pace, but soon I will suffer the same fate as this forest...

I rested my forehead on the tree and closed my eyes, "Mother...Father...please, I need your guidance. Somebody to help me through this nightmare. I cannot control it any longer...for I have become a lost cause..."

"Dreambert!"

I jumped out of my thoughts and turned to see Mario and Luigi running towards me. I immediately backed away with my hands up, "Stop! Stay away!"

I summoned a sphere of energy in my palm and tossed it at them. It blasted on the ground right before them and the force of it knocked them down. I took the chance and ran to the hovering platform. As it took me up into the petrified temple, I saw the brothers collect themselves and give chase. Once I reached the top, I fled to the Somnom stone path, leaping right over the platform and sprinting across, not having time for it. I heard both Mario and Luigi calling for me to stop but I only ran deeper into the sacred temple.

But my flee was halted when I reached where the Pi'llodium once slept. I skidded to a stop, franticly looking for a way out. But there was none. I was foolish enough to trap myself at the end of the temple. I turned around and faced the brothers, who had finally caught up to me. I backed up against the stone wall and let the dark energy built up inside me, ready to strike. Like a cornered animal.

"Dreambert," Luigi said rather calmly, "It's-a okay. We're-a not going to-a hurt you."

"No!" I yelled as they tried to get closer, "Please stay away! I do not want to hurt you!"

Mario put his hands up, "Dreambert, it's-a okay. We-a want to help-a you-"

"You can't!" I hollered desperately, "I am cursed and there is nothing that can be done! Please, I am begging you to stay away! I am dangerous and I just want to protect you!"

Though my outburst was unintentional, it made the brothers halt and exchange shocked glances. Someone came up behind them and I recognized her. Starlow.

No, please not Starlow. Anything but her.

She went past the brothers, a worried look on her face. "Dreambert..." She said, "It's okay. I know you're scared of your...issue, but you just have to calm down."

Something was different about her...very different. Her voice was much softer..._sweeter_ than what I remembered, and it was strangely soothing. Her tomboyish tone was completely gone. It was like she was a different person, a different side of her exposed that she had been hiding. Whatever it was, it was calming me down somehow. The sound of her gentle voice slowed down my frantic heart's pace. I let her come closer.

"It's going to be all right, Dreambert. Just stay calm, okay?"

The vines began to go away and the ground faded into its normal colors. Once I collected myself, I slowly began to come forward. I stopped within a few feet from Starlow. She gave me a small smile, "See? Easy does it. Why don't we go back to the castle and-"

"I cannot go back! How can I after what I did? My own people think I am a monster, for Grambi's sake!"

"I don't understand..." Starlow said, "What happened, Dreambert? Why are you hands all...petrified?"

Mario and Luigi walked up next to Starlow, looking at me questioningly. I took a deep breath and told them. I tried to shorten it as much as I could and keep it to the point. Once I finished, I stood there awkwardly before their shocked looks.

"Geez!" Luigi said, "Dreambert, why didn't-a you tell us?"

"Yeah!" Starlow said, "We're your friends and you know that we'll always here for you. You don't have to be afraid."

"That is the thing!" I said, "There is nothing that you can do to help me! It is a curse inside of me that is eating me alive, and turning me into stone!"

"Actually, there might be a way." A new voice said. We all turned around to see Dr. Snoozemore walking up. He approached me with a worried look. "Are you all right now, Prince? What happened?"

I glanced down at my hands, "I...I think so...for now at least. It was an accident. Eldream...he..." I trailed off and looked back up at him, "...Is he okay...?"

Dr. Snoozemore hesitated, and that made me nervous. Hesitation was never a good thing. He fumbled with his fingers before replying, "Er...well...he'll live, I can tell you that. But he probably won't wake up for a good while since you knocked him out cold. The Gatekeepers took him away and are caring for him now, I believe. I know it is hard for you Prince, but you have to get this under control before something worse happens!"

"You do not understand," I began to pace, "I _had_ it under control, I really did! It is just that I saw Antasma and then he appeared and then-"

Starlow interrupted me, "Whoa, whoa, slow down! You saw _Antasma_?"

"A vision," I said, "I saw a vision of him and it scared me. That was what started it...and then Eldream addressed me having to be...king."

I physically winced at that word. It gave me too many haunting memories.

"Wait, didn't you say that there's a way to help Dreambert?" Starlow asked.

"Mmm-yes, I said there _might_ be a way to help him." Dr. Snoozemore replied. "After doing some research, I have found something...interesting."

"Well? What is it?!" I demanded.

"Well first, we must go to a more quiet location. Bedsmith was kind enough to let me keep some of my findings in his hut. Good thing I did, since I'm sure that going back to the castle is not an option."

"Not for me." I said rather bluntly.

"Okay then, let's go! The sooner, the better for Dreambert." Starlow said. I noticed that the strange 'sweet' tone of her was gone, recovered by her normal one. I could not have been the only one who noticed it, right?

I sensed that there was something behind that, but I pushed it aside.

"Mmm-yes, but wait a moment." Dr. Snoozemore said, grabbing our attention. He reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar pair of white gloves. My eyes widened at the sight of them. "I think His Highness would like these back, does he not?"

He handed them back to me. I stared at them in my palms for a moment before he answered my silent question.

"Ah, Eldream had dropped it when the Gatekeepers took him and I found the other on the ground in front of the temple."

I nodded and slipped them on, "...Thank you..."

"So that's-a why you wear them!" Mario commented, "I didn't recall-a you having gloves before, so I was-a wondering why-a you had some-a now."

"Right well, let us make haste."

Eager to see what Dr. Snoozemore found, I led the way to Bedsmith's house. Thankfully it was not too far east of the temple. I did, however, notice the Beehosses acting strange. They would stare at me as I went by, often backing away behind a tree to do so. All of the creatures of the island became peaceful since Antasma's evil entity was gone, and often tourists would pet them or the children would play with them. In fact, the Beehosses used to approach me and I used to give them a gentle pat and speak to them in my native language. But now, they were afraid of me. Honestly, I could not blame them, as I was afraid of me too.

"What's up with those guys?" Starlow asked, "Didn't they become friendly?"

"Mmm-yes, they did indeed." Dr. Snoozemore replied, "But they are afraid of Prince Dreambert, as he petrified their forest and they now see him as an evil being."

_No, they can sense the evil inside of me._

"Prince Dreambert!"

Princess Peach emerged just as we reached Bedsmith's house. Prince Peasley flew next to her, standing on that blue bean with wings. For once, his face did not consist of that rediculous smirk. As his bean lowered to the ground, he walked off, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. My my, what was that all about hmm? Talk about disrespecting your elders!"

Princess Peach smacked his shoulder and I ignored him. She returned her attention to me, "Goodness, Dreambert...what happened? One moment we were having a good time and then the next you scared everyone to death with that...incident! We're sorry for following you but we were just so worried about where you ran off to."

"It's okay, Peach. We got him to calm down now. It seems that Dreambert has a...problem." Starlow said.

"Obviously." Peasley snorted, "He's got a big problem if he can turn a whole forest into stone." I would not have felt offended by that comment if he did not say it in such a snobby tone.

"Did anyone ask for your opinion?" I snapped, "No, they did not."

"_Excuse_ you? Rude, much?"

"Says the one always picking for a fight!"

"A fight? With you? Ha! Don't make me laugh! I could KO you in one move! Besides, I only made a comment on the forest being stone!"

"I will turn _you_ into stone if you do not stop your childish behavior!"

We lunged at each other but Mario went in front of me and held me back. Luigi held Peasley back as well, pushing him back by his shoulders. I growled and tried to pull a glove off but Mario must have caught on and grabbed my wrists, restricting me from doing so. I struggled furiously to get out of his grasp.

"Let go of me!" I heard Peasley holler, "Let me at him!"

"Come on-a, guys! Enough already!" Luigi said, "Fighting is not-a going to-a help anything!"

I finally gave up and stopped struggling. Instead, I shoved myself away from Mario and tore my left glove off. I had to destroy something. In one quick movement, I targeted a nearby tree and formed a sphere of energy, similar to what Antasma used, and threw it at the petrified tree. It struck the stoney trunk and blasted a good chunk of it off into pieces.

"Easy, Prince!" Dr. Snoozemore said, "Remember, it feeds on your emotions."

"Why are you telling _him_?" Starlow said, "It was Goldie Locks over there who made him mad!"

Peasley threw his hands up questioningly, "Wha...? Who's side are you on?"

"There are no sides." I growled, "But you are really testing my limits, Pretty Boy. Just take a moment to realize that that tree would have been you! Could you imagine that?"

Peasley hesitated.

"That is what I thought."

"Are you two done, now?" Princess Peach said, "Because I would really like to know about Dreambert's problem."

"I'll tell her," Starlow claimed, "You guys go ahead."

We nodded and followed Dr. Snoozemore into Bedsmith's house. Thankfully, he was at the castle so I did not have to worry about him and his crazy fantasies of napping on me. It was surprisingly neat and tidy inside, except for the scattered papers and books on a large table. Dr. Snoozemore looked through them until he picked up an old brown book. It was rather ornate, with golden lining on its spine and edges and a Pi'illo emblem carved in the center. Something sparked in my mind but I could not quite figure it out.

"Does this book seem familiar to you, Prince?" He handed it to me.

I took the book gently and ran my fingers over the cover. It was definitely old, as it looked worn and had some tears in the leather cover. My fingers left trails where they scraped some dust off, so I blew on it. The more I examined it, the more I felt like I knew what it was. "...I think I remember something about it."

The door opened and Starlow came in with Princess Peach, "Hey, we're back! What did you guys find?"

"Well, Dreamy Boy was given an old book and that's about it." Peasley answered. I wanted to give a sharp retort on his ridiculous nick name for me, but I was too intrigued by the book. "This book, it does seem really familiar..."

"Well it should. It belonged to your father, King Dhiren."

"My father..."A memory flashed in my mind. I could vaguely remember seeing my father writing in this book when I was still very young. "Ah...I remember now. He used to write in it often."

"Mmm-yes, I had found that book years ago when I first came here. It was one of the many things left behind by you and your Pi'illos when we found that you all mysteriously disappeared, leaving the island empty and lonely. He mostly wrote about casual things, such as you or the queen or the well-being of the kingdom...or other kingdoms."

"_Other kingdoms?_" Both Peasley and Peach said in union. "You mean our kingdoms?"

"That is not possible." I said, "I know not about the Beanbean Kingdom, but I do know that the Mushroom Kingdom did not exist that long ago. Now, my memory is not as good as it once was, but I do not recall any interactions with other kingdoms."

"But how would you know that?" Starlow claimed, "If this was over a thousand years ago and your parents were still the rulers, then wouldn't that make you, like, really young?"

I hesitated, "...Yes, I suppose that is true. I would only know so much back then."

"Whoa, wait!" Peasley exclaimed as he gave me a shocked look, "You're over a _thousand_ years old?"

"Indeed, I am."

"What in the world, man! How does that even happen?! Are you immortal or something?"

I facepalmed.

"I told you back at the castle!" I snapped. "Do you not listen?"

"I heard bits and pieces of it." He shrugged, "Wasn't it something about you and your people getting turned to stone and being trapped in nightmare thingies in that dream world for thousands of year..._oh_..."

Everyone stared at Peasley.

"Don't stare at me! I have my blonde moments, okay?"

"Well your 'blonde moments' are not helping!" I growled.

"Back on the subject," Princess Peach spoke up, "what other kingdoms could you be referring to, Doctor? And what would they have to do with Dreambert's curse?"

Dr. Snoozemore chuckled, "Ah, the questions I have been waiting for. Prince Dreambert, I have marked some pages in that book that may hold some answers. Would you please go to the one with the blue mark?"

I noticed that the book had multiple slips of paper sticking out, all in different colors. I slid a finger between the pages with the blue slip, which was the first one, and pried it open. The pages felt rough and slightly worn, a sign of their old age. My father's handwriting was in neat cursive but faded a little over the years.

"Mmm-yes, read the right page, Prince."

I located it and read aloud:

_"I am quite annoyed by the Light Kingdom. Again, they asked for our assistance against the Dark Kingdom. As a quiet and conservative kingdom that likes to keep to themselves, it is very unusual for them to suddenly communicate with us. But as a solitary kingdom, I do not want to get my people sucked into their problems. I have a newborn child to worry about, for Grambi's sake, and I do not plan on raising him in an environment of war. The Pi'illo Kingdom is a peaceful kingdom and I want to keep it that way. They have fought off the Dark Kingdom many times before, so why must they drag us into it now? It is not like they are getting any stronger...are they?"_

"The Light and Dark Kingdoms? Hmph." Peasley commented as he ran a hand through his hair, "Can't say I've heard of 'em."

"Well yes, none of you would probably know, considering that these kingdoms existed thousands of years ago. You won't find them in any history documents either, as the prince's father said, they were rather conservative and kept to themselves." Dr. Snoozemore reasoned.

"Okay, so there were two other ancient kingdoms who thrived with my own. But this still does not answer why they would have anything to do with me."

"They _don't_ have anything to do with you, Prince. But they have certain things that will help break your curse."

"But these-a kingdoms existed thousands of-a years ago!" Mario said, "How-a do we know if they still-a exist?"

"They do still exist. I've seen them."

I lowered the book and all eyes were on Starlow. She hesitated and looked down, as if she was regretting what she said. She looked unbelievably uncomfortable. I could sense it too.

"You've _seen_ these kingdoms, Starlow? Have you been to them?" Peach asked.

"Er...no. I just...uh...well...the Star Sprites have talked about them back home so I think it's safe to assume that they're still around, y'know?"

"Mmm-yes, that is all the proof we need then!" Dr. Snoozemore declared, "Remember that prophecy that I told you about, Prince? It was your father who wrote it down in that book. I have marked the more important sections with those slips, you'll need them for your journey."

"_Journey_?" I repeated, "What journey?"

Dr. Snoozemore gestured at the book in my hands, "Is it not obvious? You must travel to the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness in order to break that curse!"

"Why there?"

"Because these kingdoms connect to the Overthere and the Underwhere! While the Light people can go in and out of the Overthere, the Dark people are who you need to reach in order to get to the Underwhere and resurrect Antasma."

"_WHAT?!_" Everyone shouted, including me. Save Peasley, who only snapped his head up with wide eyes.

"Resurrect-a Antasma?! Are you-a crazy?!" Luigi exclaimed. "Isn't-a he the one who cursed-a Dreambert?"

"Mmm-yes, he is indeed. But as the one who did it, he's most likely the only one who can undo it." Dr. Snoozemore saud, "The Prince and I have discussed this before, but the prophecy that I mentioned earlier states that 'the prince must keep the bond that holds the balance of dreams and nightmares. Without it, one will be destroyed by the other' and 'like two sides of the same coin, one cannot exist without the other'. That is what the king wrote down, at least."

"Oh, I get it." Princess Peach said, "Dreambert balances dreams, and Antasma balances nightmares. When we destroyed Antasma with dream power, Dreambert is being destroyed by nightmare power since he can't live without Antasma living too because of some sort of bond."

"Mmm-yes, you are correct, princess! That is why we must bring Antasma back, to mend that bond and restore that balance."

"But what bond are we talking about here?" Starlow said, "I mean it's not like Dreambert and Antasma are just _magically_ bonded...right? There's gotta be something up with that. Besides, am I the only one that's not too thrilled about bringing Antasma back? Come on guys, think! How do we know he's not going to try and take over the world again?"

"He hasn't so far." Peasley remarked. He smirked as we stared at him again, clearly expecting it and tilted his head thoughtfully, "Remember what I said back at the castle? There have been some Underwhere creatures getting out back in my kingdom, but one stuck out. The one everyone there calls 'Fantasma'. Coincidence? I think not. For a guy who wants world domination, he hasn't done anything more than scare people and hide. So why go through the trouble of tracking down some old kingdoms when we can probably find him in mine?"

I hated to admit it, but Peasley had a point. If Antasma escaped into the Beanbean Kingdom, then it would be much easier to go there rather than taking a risk on kingdoms that may or may not still exist. Besides, that meant that he was alive, right? So then there was no need to go to the Dark Kingdom. Dr. Snoozemore blinked a few times at the other prince, as if he were surprised, "Creatures getting out of the Underwhere? Dear Grambi! Why haven't I heard of this?"

"Then it's settled!" Starlow declared, "All we have to do is go to the Beanbean Kingdom, find Antasma, mend whatever weird bond needs to be mended, and then the curse is broken, right?"

"Mmm-yes, I suppose so..." I was about to put the book down, but Dr. Snoozemore stopped me, "Take that book with you. I have a strong feeling that this way is not nearly as easy as it sounds. I recommend going to the Beanbean Kingdom for clues about Antasma's whereabouts, and use the book to help mend the bond."

Something about the way he looked at me told me that he knew far more than what he was letting on. Then again, I suppose if he read all of my father's writings, he _would_ know a lot of things. I could not decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. But one small question nagged at my mind.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Prince?"

"Where did the prophecy come from?"

Silence. It hung in the atmosphere for a long moment before he finally answered.

"...According to your father, it was told to him by Eldream."

"Eldream?" I closed the book and held it against my chest, "He knew about this the entire time...? Why did he not tell me?"

"Probably because the king told him not to...or he didn't know what it meant. Either way, I doubt you're going to get any answers from him now."

A long silence followed. It was not awkward, as we were all taking in what we had discovered. After a while, Princess Peach broke it, "I suppose that we go back to the castle and-"

"NO!" I yelled, "I cannot go back!"

"Well you're going to have to, Dreamy Boy." Peasley snapped, "I don't think you have a choice."

I threw him a glare, "Who are you calling '_boy_'? I am well over five times your age! Maturity level too, probably."

"Oh, now look who's picking for a fight!"

"Guys, please! Now's not the time!" Starlow said. "Dreambert, Peasley's right. We can't just leave you here. I know you're afraid of hurting someone...again...but I think as long as you have your gloves on, you'll be okay. As for the curse, we can just tell everyone that you got affected by a nightmare orb or something and that there is a cure in the Beanbean Kingdom. Fair enough?"

I sighed and gripped the book tighter, "...Fine. Just please give me some space."

"Can do." I heard Peasley grumble.

"Alrighty then. Let's go!"

I was the last one to emerge from the house, but when I did, I was met with a ball of fire blasted on front of my face.

"Prince Dreambert! Watch out!"

I yelped and dashed the other way as another fire ball was launched at me. Confused and quite dumbfounded, I looked around for the others. Mario was a few yards away in his battle stances, guarding Princess Peach. Luigi was panicking not far off but I could not find Starlow and Peasley. I did not have the time, as I just barely ducked under a huge shadow that charged at me from above.

"_SQUAAAK_!"

Something screeched as it flew around in the trees. I could just barely make out the shape of it as it dove down. It was a Pi'illodactyl...a _huge_ one. It was easily the biggest one I had ever seen and that was what made it even more frightening. Even the Pi'illodactyls became tame, however, so why was it attacking?

But as it let out another cry and dove at me, I realized that it was not paying any mind to everyone else. It was attacking _me_. My mind screamed at me to run, but I remained rooted to the ground in fear.

"Dreambert! RUN!" I heard Starlow cry.

The Pi'illodactyl summoned fire in its mouth, but I saw movement and I was suddenly yanked out of the way just in time. The ground erupted in flames in the spot where I was just mere seconds ago. I looked at the hand gripping my wrist and recognized the green skin.

"P-Peasley?" I stammered.

"Keep running, you fool! It's right behind us!" He hollered over the Pi'illodactyl's squawks. I craned my neck enough to see a large shadow right on our heels. At that moment, it fired another fireball and knocked both of us down. I fumbled on the ground trying to get back up, but a big talon grabbed my torso and slammed me back down, knocking the wind out of me. I gasped for air and writhed underneath it's grasp. In the corner of my eye, I could see Peasley struggling under its other talon.

"Mario! Luigi! _Help_!" I hollered desperately. I could not move to take a glove off and I winced as the Pi'illodactyl cried in my face. Peasley's groaning gradually got louder...to the point where it started to sound inhuman. I looked over at him in shock as he roared like an animal. I watched in utter amazement as the beanish prince's body started to bulge out and his face stretched out into a long snout. His hair disappeared and he grew a long green tail that slithered back and forth on the ground. In one swift movement, he lifted one large clawed hand and struck the Pi'illodactyl square in the head. It squawked loudly and flew backwards, releasing me and...Peasley if it was still him.

I immediately ran away and turned around to get a clear view at Peasley. Instead of the cocky young prince I was used to seeing, I saw an enormous green and yellow dragon looking down at me. It turned its head and growled at the Pi'illodactyl, who collected itself and stared wide eyed at the dragon, obviously as surprised as I was. The dragon crouched in a fighting stance and snuck a glance at me. It's mouth curved into an all too familiar smirk and Peasley's voice said in my head:

_"You're not the only one who's cursed, Dreamy Boy."_

**End of Chapter**

**Betcha weren't expecting that, huh? :D**

**I decided to add a couple side stories in here. Neither of them will really interfere with the main story, I just wanted to add some extra spice because I'm Mexican. Starlow and Peasley have now become two of the more important characters for the future. :3**

**Also, I put a HUGE reference in this chapter. It should be painfully obvious for you SPM fans, but I did hide it in here pretty good so if you still can't figure it out then never fear! I will reveal it next chappy.**

**Reviews make me happy! Ciao! :D**


	7. Chapter 6

**Yuck, filler chapters are disgusting, aren't they? Welp, Let's just say that I drug the beginning out much longer than I probably should have. derp. Also, I added a 'lil sumptin' sumptin' back in chapter one since I forgot, so you guys can go check that out if you want. :3**

**ALSO, that SPM reference. So, there are the obvious ones that Jakeroo123 was so kind to point out (Overthere, Underthere, etc.), but do you guys remember the Tribe of Ancients and the Tribe of Darkness? Well, The Light and Dark Kingdoms are basically my M&L: RPG versions of them, only I made them into 'Kingdoms' instead of 'Tribes' since the series consists of kingdoms. HOWEVER, SPM does not connect to this story, so Mario and did not save everyone XD. Just thought I'd point that out there.**

**Anywhoo, enjoy! :D**

Chapter 6

_"Dreambert, are you almost ready? Can I come in?"_

_"Yes, you can come in Antasma."_

_"Hey, you look great in that tunic! Anyway, Father said that the coronation starts in fifteen minutes."_

_"Okay. You look nice too. I think you look much better in a dark tunic like that than your cloak."_

_"Hey, but I like my cloak! It is the only thing I haff of my real parents you know..."_

_"I know, but sometimes it is best to leave the past behind you. Don't get me wrong, I understand how much it means to you, but your parents would not care about you if they left you for fourteen years. They would have come back for you by now."_

_"Maybe there is a reason why they abandoned me."_

_"Maybe, but you have a new family now. My parents love you as if you were their own...and I love you as my brother. You do know that, don't you?"_

_"Of course I do. It's just that I am so...different. I am not a Pi'illo, I am some sort of bat thing that vas adopted by a royal family. I don't even know vhat I am or vhere I came from."_

_"No, you are not a Pi'illo. But you do not have to be, Antasma. Maybe someday we can track down your lineage, but for now just smile and be happy. You're not the one becoming a real prince today. I have been paranoid about memorizing my vows!"_

_"Screehee! You vill be fine, Dreambert. I vill be right there beside you."_

_"I wish the royal family didn't have to have a coronation when they turn fifteen. I am pretty sure that being born from the king and queen is enough to make me a prince. Why must I have a coronation about it?"_

_"Hehe, it's called a tradition, Dreambert."_

_"Oh, shut up. I know that already."_

_"Do you vanna go to the voods afterwards?"_

_"Of course we can! Last one to the lobby seeks?"_

_"You're on!"_

_..._

The woods erupted into screeches and roars as Peasley and the Pi'illodactyl collided. I had to dash to the side to avoid being crushed by the two massive beasts tumbling on the forest floor. I took cover behind a tree and watched as the two slashed, snapped and struck at each other. As a dragon, Peasley was much more powerful but the Pi'illodactyl was cunning and therefore much faster.

I spotted the brothers not too far away with Dr. Snoozemore, Peach and Starlow and ran to them. Starlow was the only one who paid me any attention, everyone else stared in shock at the large animals fighting. I looked questioningly at Mario and Luigi, assuming that they might know something about Peasley's transformation, but they seemed just as dumbfounded as me.

"No way!" Starlow exclaimed, "He can turn into a _dragon_?!"

"That's-a just not any-a dragon!" Mario said, "That's-a Dragohoho! I thought-a his spell was-a broken!"

"_Spell_?" I asked over the loud bellows, "What spell?"

First I end up being cursed, then I petrify an entire forest, then I have to find Antasma in a kingdom full of bean people, and now _this_? Boy, this keeps getting better and better. What next, Cackletta pops up out of nowhere to make things even better? Dear Grambi, I hoped not.

The Pi'illodactyl tried to fly multiple times, but Peasley was always quick to pull it back down. I could tell that the brothers wanted to help in some way, but Peasley seemed to have the upper hand anyway. He had it pinned to the ground and, surprisingly enough, looked up at me.

I stared right back, but the Pi'illodactyl saw the chance and launched a ball of fire in Peasley's face, knocking him back some. My breath hitched in my throat as it was finally able to spread it's wings and dived at him, shoving him dangerously close to the edge of a poisonous pool. Peasley roared in fury and tried launching a fireball of his own, only to miss.

The Pi'illodactyl dived again with another loud squawk and I was sure that it was going to push him into the pool. Peasley rolled onto his back and, right when it was upon him, he kicked out with his hind legs and sent it into the pool instead.

I, as well as everyone else winced, hearing the sizzling of the poisonous liquid as it made contact with the Pi'illodactyl. It shrieked and shot back up into the air, the acid still burning and dripping off of it, and disappeared into the deeper part of the woods, it's painful cries still echoing.

"Yikes, that's gonna leave a mark." Starlow commented. Peasley grunted as he got up and turned to us. He gave his large body a shake before approaching us.

"Oh, Peasley..." Peach said, "I thought Mario and Luigi broke your spell!"

"Spell?" I repeated. I looked over at Dr. Snoozemore, but he only shrugged. Peasley lowered his head and grinned, showing his pointed teeth tauntingly. I snorted and crossed my arms, "Great, as if a cocky bean boy was not bad enough. Now I have to deal with a cocky bean dragon."

Peasley narrowed his amber eyes at me._ I would watch it if I were you. This cocky bean dragon just saved your rear end._

"I meant a cocky telepathic bean dragon. My apologies."

"Then can someone explain why Peasley is a cocky, telepathic bean dragon?" Starlow asked.

_Allow me to explain._

Peasley stretched his forelegs out and then dropped down promptly on the ground. _When Mario and Luigi first got to my kingdom, I ran into Cackletta and Fawful at the summit of HooHoo Mountain. Cackletta used her vile witch powers and put a spell upon me, turning me into Dragohoho, a dragon who once lived on that mountain long ago. The spell not only changed me physically, but also resurrected Dragohoho's soul along with it. With his soul possessing and overpowering mine, I was no longer in control and therefore attacked the brothers against my will._

"But-a we defeated-a him and you-a changed back." Mario said. "I thought that-a we broke the spell because-a of that."

_You only broke half of the spell. Yes, you defeated Dragohoho, but you only cleansed me of his spirit. His body still remains a part of me, a second form for my own soul to use whenever I want. I try to avoid turning into Dragohoho..._ He extended a foreleg and examined it with interest, as if he had never seen it before_...but there are times that I need him in emergencies, such as just now. I consider him a curse, since I can't find a way to get rid of him, but he's a curse that can prove useful when necessary, I suppose._

"So basically, Dragohoho's soul has been defeated, but you still have his body that you can transform into." Starlow said.

_Pretty much._ He then peered down at me._ By the way, I think this is yours, is it not?_

He lifted a large paw to reveal an ancient book. I gasped and instantly ran to pick it up. Luckily, it did not seem to have any damage and I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked up at Peasley in slight confusion, "Wait, how did you get it?"

_I grabbed it just before that...dinosaur thing pinned us and just had under my paw when it tried to push me into that poisonous pool._

"Well...thank you."

He only snorted in response.

Princess Peach approached Peasley and gently placed her hand upon his snout. In response, he make some sort of strange harmonious humming sounds from his throat. It took a minute for me to realize that he was purring. A dragon purring? How odd...then again this dragon was actually Peasley. It was not going to be like a normal dragon. It was going to be like Peasley.

"I didn't know that Dragohoho was telepathic..." She said as she stroked his nose.

_He wasn't. Since he was an animal and didn't speak, I'm just using my subconscious to communicate psychologically. As the one of the only people who know about it, Lady Lima was the one who helped train me to do so with a spell._

"Mmm-yes, now that that's over, we should probably get going, hmm?" Dr . Snoozemore said. "You can change back, correct?"

_Yes, I-_

He stopped short and snapped his head up, startling Peach in the process, and narrowed his eyes. It was followed by a short silence until Peasley jumped up in one swift movement and ran the opposite way, disappearing into the deeper parts of the woods.

"Prince?"

I whipped around to see Noctous. He walked towards me cautiously, but hesitated and seemed to change his mind as he took the steps back. The other masters stood behind him warily, like he was their only source of protection. It was a surprising sight, considering that the masters were known to be some of the most brave and courageous Pi'illos in the Kingdom. If Noctous noticed their cowardly behavior, he either did not care or did not bother to lecture them at that moment.

"Your Highness, are you...all right? And what happened to the forest? All we heard were a bunch of horrid screeches!" He said in bewilderment as he examined the solidified forest.

"Er...well...I..." I fumbled over my words.

"Nah, I wouldn't worry about it."

I turned around to see Peasley walk up in his normal form, brushing himself off. "We just had a...dinosaur problem."

Noctous tilted his head in confusion, "Dinosaur? You must be referring to a Pi'illodactyl. Did one attack you?"

"Is that what it was?" Peasley pulled some leaves out of his hair, "Hmph, well whatever. Good thing they were lucky enough to have me drive it off." He flicked his hair tauntingly, sending off some bright sparkles. I rolled my eyes.

"Wait, so it _did_ attack you?" Noctous said shockingly, "But our creatures have become peaceful! Why would it attack?"

"The same reason why the Beehosses hide behind the trees." Dr. Snoozemore said, "Prince Dreambert petrified its home and so it saw him as a threat. I believe that it was only trying to defend the forest."

"Okay, but how in the world did the prince do _this_ to the forest?!"

"Mmm-yes, we will explain everything as soon as we reach the castle." he replied, "However, dear masters, we ask that you keep this anonymous from the public."

The masters exchanged uncomfortable glances before turning back to us, "...If that is what you wish..."

Starlow came up beside me and sighed, "Well...we have a lot of explaining to do."

...

And explain we did. I was reluctant to reveal myself, especially after what happened earlier, but I knew that lurking in the woods was not going to solve anything. No one said a thing on our way back, except for the masters warning the people back when we reached the castle. Most of them already backed away at the sight of me -my people especially- but some tried to linger in curiosity. I hung low for the most part and avoided any eye contact.

Dr. Snoozemore and I quickly explained to the masters once we reached the collection room. We left out some parts, like the resurrection of Antasma and Peasley's transformation, and stuck with our story of the Beanbean Kingdom having a solution to my curse, though we did inform them of the Light Kingdom. Luckily, it seemed to convince them since they did not ask too many questions.

"I see..." Noctous said, "So you must reach the Beanbean Kingdom in order to break this curse."

"Indeed." I confirmed.

"But how exactly is that kingdom going to help you, Prince?" A different master asked, "We have no relation to this newer kingdom what so ever. Why would it have something to do with a kingdom much older?"

...Oh great. I had not thought of that. I hesitated and glanced helplessly at Dr . Snoozemore, who only returned my gaze. I was sure that our alternative story was going to collapse when Peasley spoke up.

"We beanish people specialize in spells." He declared, "It is a type of magic that we have mastered for generations. Only a few still know how to use it properly today, but those of us who do are certainly capable of casting a spell to break a curse. That is why we must travel eastward to my kingdom." He explained. I exhaled, not realizing that I was holding my breath the entire time. He side glanced at me and winked.

_Peasley, you sneaky little liar._

"Are you sure it will work?" Noctous asked.

I fingered my gloves nervously, "It has to..."

"Right, so we must leave as soon as possible!" Princess Peach exclaimed. I cleared my throat, "Yes, we shall leave in the morning. However," I turned to her, "...I believe that you should stay here, Princess. Please do not take it the wrong way, I just do not want to drag you into any potential danger."

"For once, I actually agree with Dreamy Boy here." Peasley added, "Perhaps you should stay here, Princess. You are probably the most capable of keeping the island calm, and I don't think everyone will be thrilled about all of their royal leaders disappearing."

Princess Peach nodded, "Okay, I can understand that. But I just don't want to sit here doing nothing while you all go on an adventure that could be dangerous..."

"Don't worry, Peach." Starlow said, "I mean, come on! It's not like we haven't done this many times before! We've totally got this in the bag, right guys?"

Something about her confident attitude made me smile. It gave me just a bit more hope. She really _was_ an influential person. I could feel the curse swirl inside of me in reaction. It almost seemed to be _annoyed_.

"Okay then, I'll stay here. I do hope you guys stay safe." Peach said, "But I do believe that the island needs an explanation. We can't just leave them pondering on what happened to Dreambert."

"Mmm-yes, do not worry, Princess. I will inform the public. It is probably best for him to remain anonymous...for his and everybody else's safety. For now, I do believe that the rest of you should prepare for your journey tomorrow morning." Dr. Snoozemore said. The masters nodded on agreement and I suddenly remembered something.

"Masters, do you know where Eldream is?"

They hesitated, the memory of what happened to him probably re-running through their minds. "The Gatekeepers took him to the room to the far left on the second floor. They said that he probably will not wake up for a while."

I nodded and dismissed everyone. While the masters followed Dr. Snoozemore down to the lobby, I followed the others to the hotel area. I recieved many wary looks from the people already there, but I ignored them and made my way to the room on the very left only to be stopped by a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Princess Peach.

"Hey," She gave me a small smile, "I just wanted to say goodnight and...be careful out there, okay? The world has changed a lot since a thousand years ago."

"I know, and I will stay safe. I promise." I returned her smile, "Goodnight, Princess."

She nodded and with that, she walked to her room. Mario and Luigi bid me a good night before they too retired to their bedroom, leaving me with Starlow. She seemed to have zoned out, as she stared past me with a troubled look. I tilted my head slightly and waved a hand before her, "Um...Starlow?"

"Wh-wha...?" She snapped out of her trance and looked back at me, "Oh, sorry. I kinda...zoned out there..."

I chuckled, "It is quite alright..." I trailed off as I could sense a strange uneasiness emanating from her. It was quite an odd feeling coming from Starlow of all people. Her small smile faded and she seemed to be zoning out again. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"I said, are you okay? You just look so..._uneasy_."

"Oh, no! I'm not uneasy!" Starlow immediately said, "I'm just...uh...tired! Yeah, just tired is all."

I still was not convinced, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah! Totally fine! It's just been a really eventful day, y'know? Your curse, the Pi'illodactyl..." I could just barely hear her mumble,_ "...the Light Kingdom..."_

Something was definitely off about her. She was the only one to know about the Light Kingdom's existence buy now she becomes more and more unlike herself by the minute. Was there a connection between her and the Light Kingdom? She was hiding something, and whatever it was, I was determined to find out sooner or later. For now, however, I let it go, "Okay, if you say so..."

"Yeah well, I'm just gonna...you know." She said, "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Starlow."

After she left to her room, I shook off the many questions rising in my mind and approached Eldream's door. For a long moment, I stood there with my trembling hand hovering over the doorknob. Whether it was the fear of facing what I did to him or the major stress I was going through, something kept me from opening the door. After a while, I finally took a deep breath and forced myself to open it.

Slowly, I approached Eldream who was laying unconscious on the bed. At first he seemed unharmed, until I saw a streak across his forehead. It looked like a slash, as if something sharp cut him. But it was not red or...it was a simple purple scar.

"I am sorry, Eldream..." I whispered, "But I will fix this. Somehow, I will break the curse."

Something caught my eye on the nightstand. It was an ink pen gleaming from the lamp's light. At the sight of it, I got an idea. I began to scan the room and went over to a table with a mirror. Curious, I pulled a drawer open and found a notebook inside. Just my luck. It might have been left behind by a tourist. Whatever the case, I was going to put it to use. I quickly pulled a sheet out and ran back to the nightstand. Grabbing the pen, I began to write.

Once I finished, I folded it neatly and signed Eldream's name on the front. I smiled slightly, realizing how much my handwriting looked like my father's from his book. Then I frowned as I thought more about him. It caused me to think about how close I was to my parents, for I did not get to have as much time with them as I wanted..._needed_.

No, it brought back too many painful memories. It was making me upset...and Grambi _knows_ what will happen if I get upset again. Shaking the memories away, I gave one last look at Eldream before walking out of the room and slowly making my way to my room. No one was around on the second floor, but I could hear Dr. Snoozemore downstairs explaining my 'incident' just earlier today. Starlow was right, it really was an eventful day. For once in a long time, I actually felt tired. Finally reaching my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, sighing.

...And the curse, like the devil it was, came alive from its slumber in my poisoned heart and crept its way through my veins, telling me that it was not going break without a fight.

**End of Chapter**

**Okay, I know that Dragohoho looked like a retarted crocodile with a unibrow in the game. Just try to imagine him more...'dragon-like' for the sake of this story. With a more dragon-ish shape, actual muscular legs and proportional wings like a dragon is supposed to have. XD**

**I also put up a poll! There are two stories that I plan on publishing after this one is finished and I would love your opinions on which one I should do first! Both revolve around this story, but the catch is that you guys will have no idea what they will be about. You have to choose the title that seems the most appealing to you, because good titles are what often catch readers, right? The poll is on my profile, so please check it out and see which one you want to read first!**

**Reviews make me happy! Cioa! :D**


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